Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22
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 illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, employment in healthcare and retail increased over the period, while agriculture experienced a decline. Manufacturing had the highest number of jobs at the beginning, but its employment figures decreased after 1980.
In 1960, healthcare had the lowest number of jobs, at approximately 2–3 million. The figure then rose gradually to around 5 million in 1980 and continued to increase until 2020. Similarly, the number of jobs in the retail sector showed an overall upward trend throughout the period.
In contrast, manufacturing had a high level of employment at the start of the period. However, its figures began to decline after 1980, falling by approximately 6 million jobs by 2020. Agriculture also showed a downward trend and ended the period with the lowest number of jobs among the four sectors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting main features and comparisons across the four sectors. Key trends are correctly identified, such as the growth in healthcare and retail, the decline in agriculture, and the peak and subsequent fall in manufacturing. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum length requirement, containing 149 words, which results in a slight penalty to the task achievement score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organised with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, followed by a well-conceived overall summary paragraph, and then detailed body paragraphs that group information logically by sector trends. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'Overall', 'In 1960', 'Similarly', and 'In contrast', ensuring smooth transitions between ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately and supports the structure of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe data trends adequately, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'gradual increase', 'upward trend', and 'downward trend'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'fluctuations' or specific sector names appropriately, but overall the lexical range is standard and covers the prompt without excessive sophistication or uncommon lexical items.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The response exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The line graph illustrates the number of jobs...' and 'Manufacturing had the highest number of jobs at the beginning, but its employment figures decreased after 1980.' Grammatical accuracy is generally high with a majority of error-free sentences, demonstrating good control over tense usage and punctuation throughout the report.
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