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 linear representation illustrates the information related to the number of jobs in four economy sectors( manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare) in the USA between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, the least number vacancies were in the agriculture sector. During initial year's jobs in retail and healthcare field increased gradually with time and declined in the case of manufacturing sector.

There were 15 million jobs in the manufacturing sector and it rose slowly to 20 million in 1980. However, it had a significant drop of 7 million till 2020. Moreover, in the retail field, the figure was approximately 6 million in 1960 and rose dramatically to 15 million in next 40 years. The trend recorded an increase of 1 million in 2020. Nearly 6 million people were engaged in agriculture sector, but figure dropped to approximately 3 million in 1980 and levelled off till 2000. the trend observed a dip of 1 million in following year. Furthermore, number kept on increasing in healthcare sector, it was 3 million in 1960 and rose steadily to 5 million in 1980. It had a significant climb of 11 million in subsequent years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, selecting key data points, and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the overall trends such as agriculture having the least vacancies and the divergent paths of retail/healthcare versus manufacturing. Key figures are accurately reported overall, although there are a couple of minor inaccuracies or unclear statements regarding the data, such as stating 'it had a significant climb of 11 million' for healthcare when it actually reached 16 million from 5 million. Nevertheless, the response covers the scope of the visual data well and fulfills the requirements of an Academic Task 1 report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into four paragraphs, including a clear introduction and an overall summary. Information is generally presented in a logical sequence, moving from an overview to specific sector details in the body paragraph. However, paragraphing could be structured more effectively by grouping related sectors rather than bunching multiple distinct trends into one dense paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore', but some transitions feel slightly mechanical or abrupt. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional lapses in logical progression prevent the essay from achieving a higher band in this category.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully using terms such as 'linear representation', 'gradually', 'declined', 'rose dramatically', and 'levelled off'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, although occasional inaccuracies occur in word choice and phrasing, such as 'least number vacancies' instead of 'the lowest number of vacancies' and 'the trend observed a dip of 1 million in following year'. Spelling is generally accurate, but minor slips in collocation and preposition usage mean that the lexical resource remains at a competent, mid-range level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring subordinate clauses and introductory phrases. Grammatical control is generally satisfactory, and many sentences are clear and error-free. However, there are notable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, such as 'During initial year's jobs' (missing article and incorrect apostrophe use), 'number kept on increasing' (missing article), and capitalization/punctuation glitches like a lowercase 'the' at the beginning of a sentence ('the trend observed a dip'). These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to restrict the score to a Band 6.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.