Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-25

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 information about the number of jobs in manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, it looks like the figures for manufacturing and agriculture decrease, while the number of jobs in retail and healthcare rise over the period of time, all sectors experiencing some fluctuations.

In 1960, the highest number of jobs had the sector of manufacturing, meanwhile the lowest was agriculture (around 15 and 5 million respectively). The jobs in manufacturing experienced an upward trend until 1980 (about 20 million), and then dropped significantly to around 13 million in 2020. For agriculture, the number of jobs steadily until the end of the period to lower than 5 million.

Both retail and hospital had an increase in the number of job positions. Retail started at a bit over 5 million in 1960, then significantly rising to around 15 million in 2000, which stayed around the same digits until 2020.

Healthcare numbers rose steadily until 1980 around 5 million, then experienced a big surge, more than twice in the last year (over 15 million jobs).

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, successfully reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four sectors. An overview is provided, noting that manufacturing and agriculture decreased while retail and healthcare rose. Data is cited accurately, such as manufacturing starting around 15 million in 1960 and peaking at 20 million in 1980 before dropping to 13 million. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting; for example, the student states that for agriculture 'the number of jobs steadily until the end of the period', missing the main verb. Overall, the task is well addressed, satisfying the requirements for a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing the specific sectors. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Overall', 'In 1960', and 'Meanwhile', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'Both retail and hospital had an increase'. Referencing is generally clear, but occasional minor awkwardness in sequencing prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Paragraphing and logical flow are maintained throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'upward trend', 'dropped significantly', and 'steadily'. Less common items are attempted with varying success; for instance, 'big surge' is suitable, but 'hospital' is incorrectly used instead of 'healthcare' when discussing the sector data. There are also minor awkward phrasings like 'stayed around the same digits'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, placing the response solidly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there are notable grammatical errors and omissions. For instance, in the sentence 'the number of jobs steadily until the end of the period', the main verb is missing entirely. Additionally, 'the highest number of jobs had the sector of manufacturing' features unnatural word order, and 'significantly rising' should be 'rose significantly'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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