Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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 given diagram illustrates statistics related to employment in four different sectors of the economy in USA starting from 1960 till 2020.

Overall, jobs in manufacturing sector seemed to be one of the most abundantly available options, while agriculture jobs seemed to be the most scarce across the time.

In 1960 manufacturing jobs started off as the most commonly available job with a number of 15 million and observed a rise till it reached 20 million in 1980 from which it then sharply declined for the next 40 years and reached below 15 million jobs in 2020. On the other hand healthcare jobs began with the lowest jobs number with about 2.5 million jobs but then saw a steady increase by 1980 where they grew to 5 million and then continued to grow sharply reaching just above 15 million in 2020. Retail jobs were about 5 million in 1960 and quite throughout their journey have been gradually increasing till 2000 reaching 15 million after which a decline in slope can be observed, still ending at above 15 million in 2020. Agriculture jobs started with about the same number as retail but unlike it, since had been on a decline, nearing 2.5 million by the end of 2020, the lowest of them all.

Even though manufacturing jobs have observed a decline in overall number, they are still abundantly available, while healthcare job are slowly declining with the passage of time. Retail and agriculture on the other hand, even though starting with a meager amount seemed to be the most available jobs by the end of 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the prompt by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons across the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The overview effectively captures the overall trajectory of manufacturing as a dominant sector and agriculture as the most scarce. Key data points, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and healthcare rising sharply to over 15 million in 2020, are correctly cited. However, there is a minor contradiction in the concluding paragraph where the student states that healthcare jobs are 'slowly declining' when the data clearly shows a sharp upward trend to 16 million. Overall, the task is well addressed, earning a solid Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is clearly organised into an introduction, an overview paragraph, a detailed body paragraph, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to link ideas, such as 'On the other hand', 'Even though', and 'after which'. However, paragraphing could be structured more effectively, as combining all the detailed data trends into a single massive body paragraph makes it somewhat dense to read. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as 'quite throughout their journey' and the erroneous conclusion regarding healthcare. Progression is generally logical, placing this text at a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for describing graphical data, employing terms like 'abundantly available', 'scarce', 'sharply declined', 'steady increase', and 'gradually increasing'. Less common phrases are attempted with mixed success; phrases like 'most abundantly available options' and 'lowest jobs number' are slightly unnatural in an academic context. There are also minor lexical lapses, such as 'decline in slope' rather than a change in rate. Vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message clearly, fitting the Band 6.5 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'Even though', 'while', and 'after which'. Grammatical control is fairly good, and communication is never impeded. However, several minor errors and awkward phrasings occur, such as missing prepositions or articles (e.g., 'jobs in manufacturing sector', 'while healthcare job are slowly declining' where 'job' is singular and lacks an article). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though some long sentences would benefit from more careful comma placement. This performance aligns well with Band 6.5.

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