Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07

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 chart illustrates the proportion of jobs in four major sectors of United States's economy between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, number of jobs increased in retail and healthcare while downward trend is seen in manufacturing and agriculture.

In 1980, manufacturing captured the largest job market with 20 millions jobs after which it decreased gradually to around 13 million in 2020. A gradual increase was seen throughout the time period for retail sector from around 6 million jobs in 1960 to 16 million jobs in 2020.

Similarly, there were around 2 million jobs in healthcare sector at the beginning of time frame which rose up gradually to approximately 16 million in 2020. In 1960, there were around 6 million jobs in agriculture sector which sink to 4 million in 1980. Furthermore, minor fluctuations were seen in jobs and it ended up with only 3 million jobs, the smallest share hold by any sector i 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response provides a clear overview of the main trends and selects key data points to support the summary. You successfully identified the contrasting trends between the growing sectors (retail and healthcare) and the declining ones (manufacturing and agriculture). However, the report could be improved by providing more precise comparisons between the sectors at specific time intervals. For instance, noting that healthcare and retail ended at the same point in 2020 would have strengthened the analysis. The data is generally accurate, though ensure that all figures are clearly linked to the specific years provided in the prompt to avoid ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from general trends to specific sector details. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Similarly' and 'Furthermore', to link your points. However, the cohesion is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions between sentences could be smoother. For example, the jump between the manufacturing data and the retail data in the third paragraph feels slightly abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would help elevate the score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'downward trend', and 'fluctuations' appropriately. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'smallest share hold by any sector' (should be 'held') and 'United States's economy' (the possessive form is slightly awkward here). While you successfully convey the meaning, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive in its structure. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and ensure that word forms are used accurately in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('the' number of jobs, 'the' retail sector) and verb tense inconsistencies (e.g., 'sink' instead of 'sank'). Additionally, there is a minor typo ('i' instead of 'in'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the consistent use of past tense for historical data will help improve your accuracy.

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.