Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

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 delineates the information about the number of jobs, measured in millions, in four economic sectors, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare, in US, over the period of 6 decades.

Overall, retail and healthcare showed the sharpest fluctuation, converging at the same number over the period. The other two sectors experienced modest changes, relative to the beginning,

by the end of the 2020.

In 1960, manufacturing began the year with the highest number of job opportunities, at 15 million, before climbing to 20 million in 1980. From here onwards, it declined gradually, reaching roughly 17M in 2020, and around 13 million in 2020.

However, retail and healthcare showed somewhat different pattern, starting the year 1960 at approximately 5M and 2M respectively, and reaching 10M and 5M respectively in 1960. Both these sectors peaked and met at the same point, around 15M.

Conversely, agriculture dropped from 5M to just 3M in 1980, where it leveled off, before decreasing to around 2M by 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the four economic sectors in the US between 1960 and 2020. An appropriate overview is provided, highlighting the general trends such as the fluctuations in retail and healthcare and the modest changes in other sectors. Key data points are cited to support the description, such as manufacturing beginning at 15 million in 1960. However, there are some minor data inconsistencies and minor errors in historical referencing (e.g., mentioning reaching 10M in 1960, which seems like a typographical error for 1980 or 2000). Overall, the task is well-addressed and demonstrates a clear understanding of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The report exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into logical paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview paragraph, and detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, with transitional markers such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Conversely' employed effectively. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraphing and transitions could be slightly more polished to achieve a higher band. The progression of ideas makes the data easy to follow, satisfying the requirements for a clear logical flow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'delineates', 'fluctuation', 'converging', and 'gradually'. There are some successful attempts to use less common items, although minor inaccuracies appear, such as the awkward phrasing 'began the year with' and a couple of repetitive structures. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate and do not impede communication. With slightly more precise collocation and a wider variety of vocabulary, a higher score could be attained.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as participial phrases ('starting the year 1960 at approximately...') and dependent clauses. While many sentences are grammatically sound, there are noticeable slips, such as missing articles ('in US') and temporal confusion ('reaching 10M and 5M respectively in 1960', which contradicts the starting point). Punctuation is mostly accurate, and errors are infrequent enough that they do not impede overall communication. The grammatical range is sufficient for the task requirements.

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.