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 provides information regarding the total number of employments in four sectors of the economy in the us from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, number of jobs in retail and healthcare sector experienced a significant increase while manufacturing and agriculture jobs declined gradually from 1960 to 2020.

Jobs in healthcare sector increased gradually from around 2.5 million to 5 million until 1980 and experienced a significant increase of approximatley 10 million later from 1980 to 2020. Furthermore, retail jobs started at around 5 mllion jobs in 1960 and surged to 15 million in just forty years and were found steady until 2020.

Jobs in manufacturing and agriculture sector experienced fall in the given period. Manufacturing jobs soared between 1960 and 1980 increasing from 15 to 20 million jobs respectively. Later on from 1980 towards 2020 this sector showed gradual decrease. Agricultural jobs experienced a marginal decrease in the given period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student covers all four sectors and reports the main trends and data points effectively, meeting the basic requirements of the task. The overview clearly highlights the contrasting trends between growing sectors (retail and healthcare) and declining ones (manufacturing and agriculture). However, there are a few minor data inaccuracies and omissions in the body paragraphs. For instance, the student states that retail jobs 'were found steady until 2020,' whereas the graph shows an increase from 15 million in 2000 to 16 million in 2020. Similarly, manufacturing jobs actually increased between 1960 and 1980 (from 15 to 20 million), but the student's description of this movement is slightly muddled by stating they 'soared... increasing from 15 to 20 million' followed by 'Later on... this sector showed gradual decrease,' which is mostly accurate but lacks precise periodization. Despite these minor slips, all parts of the task are appropriately addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is organized into a clear introductory paragraph, an overall summary, and two body paragraphs separating the growing sectors from the declining ones. This demonstrates a logical overall arrangement and clear paragraphing. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Later on' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing and progression are occasionally mechanical or slightly repetitive in structure (e.g., beginning multiple sentences with 'Jobs in...'). While paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, the integration of cohesive devices stops short of the flexible and varied use required for higher bands.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'employments' (though misused as a countable noun here), 'significant increase,' 'declined gradually,' and 'marginal decrease.' There are some lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'approximatley,' 'mllion,' and the use of 'employments' instead of 'employment' or 'jobs.' The student attempts less common vocabulary ('surged,' 'soared'), but word choice and collocation are occasionally imprecise. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but errors in spelling and word formation keep the score at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph provides information regarding...' and 'Jobs in healthcare sector increased gradually... until 1980 and experienced a significant increase...' There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('the us,' 'number of jobs'), spelling slips ('approximatley'), and occasional awkward phrasing. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. Complex structures are attempted with moderate success, placing the response comfortably within the Band 6 descriptor.

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