Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18

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 shows information about the number of jobs in Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare of the economy in the US between 1960 to 2020. Units are measured in millions.

Overall, It is clear that the number of jobs in Retail and Healthcare rose significantly over the period without any fluctuations, while the number of jobs in Agriculture decreased over the period. However, the number of jobs in Manufacturing declined and finished below Retail and Healthcare by the end of the period.

In 1960, the number of jobs in Manufacturing was 15 million, which was highest in that period, then in 1980 it rose to 20 million before declining to around 17 million in 2000. In 2020 the number of jobs in Manufacturing decreased to below 15 million and it finishes even lower than Retail and Healthcare. In the meantime, the number of jobs in Retail in 1960 was above 5 million and it rose to 15 million in 2000 without any fluctuations. In 2020 it shows a steady rise to around 16 million but it finished above the manufacturing.

On the other hand, the number of jobs in Healthcare and Agriculture in 1960 was around 2 million and above 5 million. In 1980 the number of jobs in healthcare rose to 10 million and by the end of the period it increased to above 15 million, same as Retail. Despite being higher than Healthcare the number of jobs in Agriculture decreased to below 5 million in 1980 and finished around 2 million by 2020 which was the lowest in the figure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the prompt well. You successfully identified the main trends for all four sectors—Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare—over the 60-year period. Your overview clearly highlights the contrasting trends (Retail and Healthcare rising significantly versus Agriculture and Manufacturing declining). You supported your points with relevant data points from the chart, such as Manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and Healthcare rising to above 15 million by 2020. However, there are a few minor numerical inaccuracies in your body paragraphs, such as stating that Retail rose without any fluctuations when it actually plateaued or slightly dipped at certain intervals, and misinterpreting the Healthcare figure for 1980 (which was around 5 million, not 10 million). Despite these minor misreadings, the overall reporting of data is effective and fulfils the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Your essay is logically organized into four paragraphs, following a standard introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the categories. You made effective use of cohesive devices to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall, It is clear that', 'In 1960', 'In the meantime', and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sectors. However, progression is occasionally slightly hindered by dense sentences and minor referencing issues, such as 'same as Retail' lacking a full verb clause. Cohesion is generally clear, but slightly mechanical in places. Overall, the structural flow is sound and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrated a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data trends such as 'rose significantly', 'decreased', 'declined', and 'fluctuations'. You also used precise economic and chart-related terms like 'sectors of the economy', 'millions', and 'highest in that period'. There are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'finishes even lower' and 'it finishes above the manufacturing' (tense inconsistency, shifting between past and present). Nevertheless, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meanings without impeding communication, showing a reasonable attempt at less common lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempted a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses ('which was highest in that period') and time clauses ('between 1960 to 2020', though 'between 1960 and 2020' is more accurate). There are several grammatical errors and awkward expressions, including tense shifts ('finishes' instead of 'finished'), missing prepositions ('in 1960 to 2020'), and punctuation issues (unnecessary capitalization after 'Overall, It'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede overall communication. The control over grammar is generally acceptable for a Band 6.0.

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