Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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 multi-line graph illustrates the number of employments in four sectors (Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, Healthcare) in the United State economy over the period of 60-years from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the Manufacturing had the highest number of jobs, despite having a declined at the end of period. Retail and Healthcare sectors experienced the significant increase. While the Agriculture was remained the least with respect to employment.

Looking at the detail of the Manufacturing, from 1960 to 1980, the number of jobs grew from 15 million to 20 million at a peak. Afterwards, the number was plummeted and reaching at rougly 13 million. However, Retail, began with 6 million, the number rose dramatically marked 16 million at the end of period. The heathcare sector followed the same trend, started with roughly 2 million, experienced rapid growth throughout the period. Finally meet retail sector at 16 million in 2020.

Furthermore, Agriculture sector showed downward trend. Started with 6 million, the numbers fall sharply almost half in 1980. From 1980 to 2000, the figure was leveled at 3 million. Eventually, after a slight decline, stood at 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020 and making appropriate comparisons. The introduction accurately paraphrases the prompt, and the overall summary captures the principal trends, such as manufacturing starting high and declining, while retail and healthcare experienced significant growth. Key data points are selected and cited correctly, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million and retail reaching 16 million. However, there are minor inaccuracies in data reporting for specific years, such as misinterpreting the terminal points or intermediate fluctuations slightly, but this does not prevent the response from covering all main trends well. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 7 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped logically by sector into separate paragraphs, which aids readability. The student uses a variety of cohesive devices to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'Looking at the detail', 'However', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the body details. However, there are some minor mechanical errors in referencing and cohesion, such as awkward transitional phrases like 'Finally meet retail sector', which slightly disrupt the flow. Progression is generally clear throughout, supporting a solid Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, allowing for some flexibility and precision. Terms such as 'plummeted', 'dramatically', 'rapid growth', and 'downward trend' show a good attempt at less common lexical items appropriate for academic reporting. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'number of employments' instead of 'number of jobs', 'a declined' instead of 'a decline', and 'was remained' instead of 'remained'. Spelling and word formation errors, such as 'heathcare' and 'rougly', also occur. These errors demonstrate the characteristics of Band 6, where the vocabulary is adequate but contains noticeable inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt at varied grammatical structures. Examples include subordinate clauses like 'despite having a declined at the end of period' and 'While the Agriculture was remained the least'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, leading to frequent errors in articles, prepositions, and verb forms, such as 'in the United State economy', 'began with 6 million, the number rose', and 'reaching at rougly'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they demonstrate a lack of consistent accuracy in complex structures, placing the response securely in Band 6.

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

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