Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28
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 illustrates the change in employment in US between [redacted phone] in Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare sector.
Overall, two sectors showed immense growth in available number of jobs from 1960 to 2020 which are Retail and Healthcare. The retail sector had around 5 Millions jobs while healthcare sector had the lowest amount of jobs in 1960 numbered in 2 Millions. But, both sectors gradually showed improvement and the number of jobs rose to around 15 Millions jobs by 2020.
Although, Manufacturing sector had the highest number of jobs in 1960 compared with other sectors, it rose significantly in 1980 accommodating 20 Millions jobs. But, after 1980 immense rise, it gradually fell over the period and by 2020 the sector held around 13 Million jobs. Lastly, the agriculture sector held same amount of jobs as Retail sector in 1960 but it hit its lowest in 2020 compared to other sectors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student provides a generally good summary of the main trends shown in the graph, successfully identifying the overall rise in Retail and Healthcare sectors alongside the decline in Agriculture and the fluctuating trend in Manufacturing. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in the reporting of specific data points. For instance, the student states that the retail sector had around 5 million jobs in 1960 (the graph shows closer to 6 million) and that Agriculture held the same amount of jobs as Retail in 1960 (Agriculture was around 6 million and Retail was also around 6 million, which is actually correct, but the statement about 2020 comparing Retail and Agriculture is slightly vague). Nevertheless, an overview is provided and key features are appropriately highlighted, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is structured into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs covering the four economic sectors. The logical progression is generally clear, moving from an overview of growth sectors to specific details about Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or abruptly used, as seen with 'But, both sectors...' and 'Although, Manufacturing sector...'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to divide ideas, but referencing and transitions between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a Task 1 response, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'immense growth', 'gradually showed improvement', and 'fluctuated' (implied by 'fell over the period'). There are some minor lexical and prepositional inaccuracies, such as 'change in employment in US' (missing article 'the') and 'numbered in 2 Millions' (awkward phrasing). Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including dependent clauses ('Although, Manufacturing sector had the highest number of jobs...'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues, notably the incorrect comma usage after subordinating conjunctions ('Although, Manufacturing sector...') and missing articles ('change in employment in US', 'available number of jobs'). However, these errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the response, placing it firmly at a Band 6.0 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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