Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-27

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 given graph illustrates the data about the jobs in manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare sector of American economy in 1960 and 2020. The units are measured as jobs in millions.

Overall, it can be depicted that in the initial year jobs in manufacturing sector was dominated which reduced significantly in the final year and the jobs were least in agriculture sector in final year and the trajectory for healthcare and retail sector has a considerable rise.

The jobs in manufacturing sector were the most in 1960 which rose considerably to over 20 and then plummeted gradually to about 13 in 2020.The vacancies in agriculture sector show a gradual downfall from approximately 7 in the year 1960 to close to 3 and then show a slight downfall close to 2 in 2020.

on the other hand, the retail and healthcare sector rose significantly over years to same data in final year. The retail sector seemed to have climbed steadily from around 6 in 1960 to over 15 in 2010 which then rose gradually to 16 in 2020. The vacancies of job in healthcare sector has a very considerable growth from about 3 in 1960 to to a little more than 15 in final year.It can be observed that the trend change is very huge in manufacturing sector and the jobs were least in healthcare sector and most and about same in agriculture and healthcare sector.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student successfully reports the main features and trends of the four sectors shown in the graph, covering the period between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the dominant status of manufacturing initially and the significant rises in retail and healthcare. However, some data points are slightly inaccurate or vague, such as stating agriculture was 'close to 3 and then show a slight downfall close to 2' when the graph shows a more precise decline, and concluding that jobs were 'most and about same in agriculture and healthcare sector' at the end, which contradicts the visual data. The response meets the core requirements of Task 1, but minor data interpretation errors keep it at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged coherently with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs detailing the trends. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different categories of information. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Overall', 'on the other hand', and 'then', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but the concluding sentence contains confusing logic and comparisons ('jobs were least in healthcare sector and most and about same in agriculture and healthcare sector'), which disrupts the logical flow at the end of the text. Overall progression is visible, making the text relatively easy to follow, aligning well with Band 6.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common vocabulary items such as 'plummeted', 'fluctuated', and 'considerable rise'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'the vacancies in agriculture sector' instead of 'employment numbers in the agricultural sector', and awkward phrasing like 'the jobs in manufacturing sector were the most'. Spelling is generally accurate, but repetition of basic structures and imprecise lexical choices prevent the score from reaching Band 7.0. The vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main trends clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses and passive structures (e.g., 'The units are measured as'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text. Examples include missing capitalization ('on the other hand'), incorrect prepositions ('data about the jobs in manufacturing... sector of American economy'), and tense or agreement slips ('jobs in manufacturing sector was dominated', 'has a very considerable growth from about 3 in 1960 to to a little more'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the grammar score from rising above Band 5.5.

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