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 line graph below illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of economy in the US between 1960 and 2020. Manufacturing jobs showed a major decrease over the period. In contrast, Retail and Healthcare jobs numbers increased significantly.

In 1960, manufacturing jobs were at 15 million, highest among four sectors. It did grow till 1980, where it reached at 20 million. But it kept declining afterwards, and ended at approximately 13 million in 2020. Agriculture jobs were around 6 million in 1960, and it declined to end at 2 million in 2020.

On the other hand, Retail jobs also started from 6 million in 1960, it kept growing rapidly till 2000, and get to 15 million. But it only managed to reach at 16 million in 2020. In 1960, Healthcare was the lowest among 4 sectors, about 2 million. But it kept increasing with time and ended in top two sectors in 2020, at 16 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four sectors between 1960 and 2020. The response includes an overview paragraph at the beginning that highlights the major trends, such as the decrease in manufacturing and the significant increases in retail and healthcare. Key data points are accurately cited from the chart, including the peak of manufacturing at 20 million in 1980 and the final figures for 2020. While the selection of data is generally appropriate, some minor details are left out, but overall the task is well addressed, meeting the criteria for Band 6.5 to 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is organized into clear paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body paragraphs grouping the sectors logically. Cohesive devices are used to signal contrasts, such as 'In contrast', 'On the other hand', and 'But'. However, some of the referencing and linking feels slightly repetitive or mechanical (e.g., starting multiple sentences with 'In 1960' or 'But it kept'). Paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a logical progression of ideas from start to finish, which aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with successful attempts at lexical items related to trends, such as 'major decrease', 'increased significantly', and 'rapidly'. However, there are some noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'jobs numbers increased' instead of 'job numbers', and awkward phrasing like 'get to 15 million' and 'ended in top two sectors'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over past tense structures to describe historical data. There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ('among four sectors' instead of 'among the four sectors'), comma splices ('in 1960, manufacturing jobs were at 15 million, highest among four sectors. It did grow...'), and awkward preposition use ('reached at 20 million'). Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, and the sentence structures remain comprehensible.

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