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 graph elaborates the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of economy in the US from 1960 to 2020. The information provided is about four different categories including retail, manufacturing jobs, agriculture, and in the field of healthcare.
Talking about the number of manufacturing jobs given to the citizens of the US, the number gradually made a significant increase over the first 20 years from 1960 to 1980. However, during the next 40 years, it experienced slight decline and the number was decreased even from the start. At the start, retail jobs were not in that much demand but as time passed, this sector also mounted from 5 million to more than 15 million and made a significant increase. Moreover, healthcare sector also increased in the number and even grow much than any other sector. Conversely, the jobs of agriculture had a significant decline over the years and were the least type of job in the US economy.
Overall, retail and healthcare jobs increased significantly while the other two sectors faced decline respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers all four categories presented in the line graph, providing an overview and attempting to make general comparisons. However, the response lacks precision in reporting specific data points and figures. For instance, the student states retail jobs 'mounted from 5 million to more than 15 million', but fails to cite exact starting and ending years or figures for other sectors consistently. The overview at the end is quite brief ('retail and healthcare jobs increased significantly while the other two sectors faced decline respectively'). While the main features are identified, the lack of specific data elaboration prevents this response from achieving a higher band. It satisfies the criteria well enough for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The text is arranged logically into three paragraphs, featuring an introduction, a body paragraph detailing the trends, and a concluding overview. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Conversely', to link ideas together. However, some transitions and referencing feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as starting multiple sentences with 'Talking about the number of...' or 'At the start...'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall progression is clear even if some connections between sentences could be smoother. This aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common collocations and economic terms such as 'sector', 'gradually made a significant increase', and 'healthcare sector'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'experience slight decline and the number was decreased even from the start', 'grow much than any other sector', and 'least type of job'. These inaccuracies slightly hinder precision, though they do not impede overall communication. The lexical range is sufficient for a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and varied clause structures (e.g., 'The line graph elaborates the information about...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'elaborates the information about' instead of 'illustrates data on', 'healthcare sector also increased in the number and even grow much than', and passive/active voice inconsistencies ('the number was decreased'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but errors in verb tense and prepositional usage occur frequently. This performance corresponds to a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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