Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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 graph illustrates, job opportunities in four sectors of the economy such as, Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare in USA from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, a surge in job availabilities for Retail and Healthcare sectors can be observed over 80 years, while Manufacturing and Agriculture sectors will experience a decline in the number of job in 2020.

The sector that will undergo maximum changes in these years is the Manufacturing sector. In 1960 this sector accounted for 15 million job opportunities which spiked to 20 millions in the year 1980. From then onwards, this area faced a gradual decrease and reached almost 13 million in 2020. As for Retail, in 1960 there were almost one third of jobs available when compared to Manufacturing sector. The Retail sector escalated and in 2000 the jobs availibilty increased to 15 millions. Later, it had a small growth of 1 miilion uptill 2020.

Another sector that accounted almost for 6 million jobs in 1960 was Agriculture sector. They then, experienced a decrease in the number of jobs in 1980, which was almost half of that in 1960 and this continued up untill the year 2000 and then again declined and reached less than 2 millios in 2020. Nevertheless, Healthcare sector underwent huge exapnsion in their numbers. in 1960 the job opportunities were almost , 2 millions but later it skyrocketed and accounted for 16 millions that is almost 8 times of that in 1960.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all four sectors across the given time frame and successfully reports the main features and trends, such as the peak in manufacturing, the steady growth in retail and healthcare, and the decline in agriculture. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main overall trends accurately. However, the student incorrectly refers to the time period in the future tense in the overview ('will experience a decline'), which is slightly inaccurate since the graph goes up to 2020 (a past year relative to the current context). Nonetheless, data is appropriately cited and supported throughout the body paragraphs, fulfilling the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The introduction outlines the graph, the second paragraph gives a general overview, and the remaining paragraphs detail specific sector data. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to connect ideas (e.g., 'Overall', 'From then onwards', 'As for', 'Nevertheless'). However, paragraphing could be slightly better balanced, and there are some awkward transitions or minor punctuation errors (such as commas separating subjects from verbs, e.g., 'In 1960 this sector...'). Progression is clear throughout, supporting a Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, employing terms like 'surge', 'spiked', 'gradual decrease', 'escalated', and 'skyrocketed'. There are, however, a few spelling and word-form errors, such as 'availabilities' (availability), 'availibilty' (availability), 'miilion' (million), 'millios' (millions), and 'exapnsion' (expansion). Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary used is generally adequate and precise enough to convey the intended meanings without impeding communication, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with varying degrees of success. There are several grammatical and mechanical errors throughout the text, including tense confusion in the overview ('will experience'), missing articles (e.g., 'in US', 'in Manufacturing sector'), and awkward punctuation (e.g., 'almost , 2 millions'). While complex structures are attempted and some sentences are error-free, the frequency of minor slips and structural inaccuracies points firmly to Band 6 control.

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