Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below gives information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US, 1960-2020

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The line graph provides key information about job numbers in four different fields of the United states economy from 1960 to 2020.The units are measured in millions

Overall, it is clear from the data that the number of jobs in retail and healthcare showed an increasing trend ,whereas the agriculture line showed a decreasing trend .In addition the manufacturing line showed also a significant drop.

As can be seen from the graph , in 1960 the number of jobs in retail was higher than healthcare . The two lines rose rapidly between 1960 and 2000 and they continued to rise slightly until they reached a peak of almost 15 million in 2020 .

As for the other categories, the agriculture line showed a steady decrease over the period and reached its lowest point in 2020 . As for the manufacturing number of jobs it climbed quickly from 15 million in 1960 to 25 million in 1980 and it went down to reach almost 15 million again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends effectively. You have provided a clear overview and supported it with relevant data points. However, the analysis is slightly uneven; while you mention the peak for retail and healthcare, you could improve by making more direct comparisons between the sectors at specific time intervals (e.g., noting that manufacturing overtook agriculture early on). The summary is accurate, but adding a bit more detail regarding the specific years where trends shifted would elevate the response to a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'whereas', 'in addition', and 'as for', which help the flow. However, the transition between ideas is sometimes a bit mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within the final paragraph could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the sentences in the second body paragraph could be improved to better link the manufacturing data to the overall trend.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'increasing trend', 'decreasing trend', and 'steady decrease'. There are some minor issues with word choice and phrasing, such as 'job numbers in four different fields' (sectors is more precise) and 'the manufacturing number of jobs' (which is slightly clunky). You have attempted to use some descriptive language, but the range is somewhat limited. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and use more precise collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some punctuation errors, such as missing spaces before commas (e.g., 'trend ,whereas') and inconsistent capitalization (e.g., 'United states'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are noticeable. You have good control over basic tenses, but the variety of complex structures is limited. Focusing on error-free sentence construction and refining your punctuation will help improve your score in this criterion.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.