Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 represents the statistics on the rate of employment generated in various economic fields in USA over a 6-decade period. The calibration is in millions in number.

Overall, it is evident that the jobs in sales and agriculture kept rising consistently, both culminating at the top position. Whereas, manufacturing and medical sector jobs had marginal changes in the end as compared to the starting point.

To initiate with, retailing was the area with almost 5 million vacancies in 1960, rising gradually and settling with around 15 million jobs in 2020, being one of the highest among other fields. Similarly, healthcare displayed the final data exactly as sales in 2020 after starting with about 2.5 million number of work oppurtunities in 1960.

In addition, manufacturing sector was dominating in the initial phase with 15 million in employment generated in 1960, before skyrocketting to 20 million in 2 decades. Later, followed a dwindling trend with approximately 14 million in 2020. In the end, agriculture began with nearly 5 million vacancies, reducing to around 3 million in 1980, followed by stagnancy before a marginal decrease of just 0.5 million for 2020 on an approximate basis.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task well, successfully reporting the main features of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. Key trends are identified, such as the rise of retail and healthcare, the peak and decline of manufacturing, and the decline of agriculture. The overview is generally clear, though it contains some inaccuracies regarding the final positions (e.g., stating sales and agriculture culminated at the top, when sales and healthcare finished highest at 16 million). Data is appropriately selected and supported with figures from the graph, meeting the expectations for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is arranged into four logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall, it is evident', 'To initiate with', 'Similarly', and 'In addition'. Paragraphing is used appropriately. However, some cohesive links feel slightly mechanical or forced (e.g., 'To initiate with'). Referencing is mostly clear, though the progression between ideas could be smoother. This aligns well with the Band 6.5 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'vacancies', 'employment generated', 'dwindling trend', 'stagnancy', and 'marginal decrease'. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'sales and agriculture kept rising consistently' when referring to retail and healthcare jobs, and a typo in 'oppurtunities'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, placing this securely in the Band 6 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a decent range of structures ('The line graph represents...', 'Whereas, manufacturing and medical sector jobs had...'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as fragments and misplaced modifiers ('Later, followed a dwindling trend...'). Errors in punctuation and sentence structure occur but do not impede overall communication, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

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

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