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 graph below give information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.
The line graph show the number of jobs in four different sectors of the United States economy between 1960 to 2020. The sectors includes manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare, and the figures are given in millions.
In overall, manufacturing was the most dominant sector during the most of the period, while agriculture jobs was decreased considerably.
In 1960, manufacturing had nearly 15 million workers, which were much higher than retail at 6 million. Agriculture stand at about 7 millions, whereas only 2 million people was employed in healthcare. After that, manufacturing increased dramatically to 20 million in 1980, but it declined to around 17 million in 2000. It then fall further and finished at approximately 13 million jobs in 2020.
Retail employment rise gradual from 6 million to 10 million in 1980, before reaching 15 million in 2000 and 16 million at the end. Similarly, healthcare demonstrated a significant proliferation, growing from 2 million to 16 million. In contrast, agriculture reduce sharply to 3 million in 1980, remained stable in 2000, and finally dropped at only 2 million jobs.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an adequate overview and reporting the key features and trends across the four economic sectors. The main data points are accurately cited, such as manufacturing starting at nearly 15 million in 1960, peaking at 20 million in 1980, and finishing at 13 million in 2020. However, there are minor inaccuracies in the data reporting, such as stating agriculture stood at about 7 million in 1960 (when the chart indicates approximately 6 million). Despite this minor misreading, the overall response effectively compares the upward trends in retail and healthcare with the downward trends in manufacturing and agriculture, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is arranged logically with a clear overall progression. The information is divided into sensible paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing the specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the data, such as 'whereas', 'after that', and 'in contrast'. However, some mechanical errors in referencing and cohesion occur, such as the introduction opening with unnecessary copying of the prompt and minor lapses in paragraphing flow. Overall cohesion is clear and appropriate for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting less common items such as 'dominant', 'proliferation', and 'considerably'. However, there are several lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'In overall' instead of 'Overall', 'agriculture jobs was decreased' (incorrect noun/verb collocation), and 'Retail employment rise gradual' (incorrect adjective form instead of adverb). While meaning is generally clear, these recurring slips keep the lexical score at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and time markers effectively. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several subject-verb agreement errors, tense inconsistencies, and word form issues, including 'The graph below give information' (plural/singular mismatch), 'The line graph show', 'agriculture stand at', 'two million people was employed', 'Retail employment rise gradual', and 'agriculture reduce sharply'. These errors occasionally distract the reader, positioning this response firmly at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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