Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-26

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 chart compares the employment levels across four economic sectors in the United States over a sixty-year period from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, healthcare started with the lowest and ended the highest equal to the retail sector. Although manufacturing jobs increased prior to 1980, then dipped continously untill 2020. In addition, agriculture had the lowest number of jobs after 1980.

To begin with, retail employment started at 6 million in 1960 then rose sharply to 10 million jobs in 1980. Afterwards, the figure increased to 15 million in 2000 before reaching its peak of 16 million workers in 2020. In contrast, the Healthcare sector started from the lowest number around 2-3 million in 1960 and grew to 5 million in 1980. The number of jobs increased significantly after 1980 and stood at 11 million then attained its highest number of jobs (16 million) in 2020.

Furthermore, in 1960, manufacturing jobs initiated at 15 million. In 1980, the level of employees hit an all-time high of 20 million jobs. Thereafter, the figure decreased continuously to near 16-17 million in 2000 and touched its lowest of 13-14 million jobs in 2020. Ultimately, agriculture began approximately at 6 million and dropped to 4 million in both 1980 and 2000. Agriculture recorded the lowest figure of around 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well by reporting the main features, trends, and key comparisons across the four economic sectors. The overview correctly highlights the major trajectories, such as healthcare and retail ending as the highest sectors while agriculture remained the lowest. Key data points are accurately cited, including manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and retail reaching 16 million in 2020. However, the second sentence of the overall paragraph is grammatically incomplete and slightly disjointed ("Although manufacturing jobs increased prior to 1980, then dipped continously untill 2020"). Despite this minor structural flaw in the overview, the selection and reporting of data are well-developed, satisfying the criteria for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is clearly organised into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction and a concise overall summary, followed by well-defined body paragraphs dedicated to specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as "In contrast", "Furthermore", and "Afterwards", which help guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different groups of trends. However, some minor progression issues and slightly repetitive transitional framing prevent a higher band score. Overall progression is clear, supporting a solid Band 7 rating.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms such as "employment levels", "rose sharply", "peak", and "decreased continuously". There are some attempts at less common lexical items and precise descriptions of trends. However, a few spelling and word-choice errors occur, such as "continously", "untill", and "initiated at" (instead of "stood at" or "started at"). These errors do not impede communication, allowing the student to comfortably achieve a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6, rounded to 6.0 based on the frequency of minor slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing time clauses and comparative structures effectively (e.g., "While manufacturing jobs increased..."). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, most notably the sentence fragment in the overview ("Although manufacturing jobs increased prior to 1980, then dipped continously untill 2020"), alongside minor prepositional and tense slips. Despite these errors, the majority of sentences are understandable, and punctuation is generally accurate. This balance of complex structures and persistent minor errors fits the Band 6 descriptor well.

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