Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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 depicts the information on jobs in four different sectors in the US economy from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, there was significant change in all four sectors, whereas healthcare and retail saw the largest increase and jobs in the manufacturing sector decreased dramatically over the period.

In 1960, the healthcare sector had under five million jobs; gradually, the number increased to 15 million, making it the highest in all other sectors. Similarly, retail started at slightly above five million, and in 2000 it reached a peak of 15 million, the same as healthcare, and finally in 2020 itwas around 15.1 million.

Furthermore, the manufacturing sector started with a good number of 15 million andin 1980 the number reached to 20 million making it heighest ever number reached in job sector , but the number drastically fall lower than 20 million and eventually ended up below 15 million in 2020.

Finally, agriculture started slightly above 5 million, but the figure dropped to less than 5 million in 190 and ended up around 3 million in 2020, making its contribution the lowest in the job sector.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting on the four sectors across the timeline and making relevant comparisons. An overview is present, highlighting the main trends such as the growth in healthcare and retail alongside the decline in manufacturing. However, certain parts of the task are under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies when checked against the visual data. For instance, the statement that healthcare became the highest among all sectors by reaching 15 million is slightly imprecise, as retail and healthcare both finished at 16 million in 2020. Furthermore, there are minor data misreadings, such as stating that agriculture dropped to less than 5 million in '190' (a typo for 1980 or 1960). While the main features are successfully selected, greater precision in reporting specific figures would elevate the response further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement and logical progression throughout the text. Information is organised into a clear introductory sentence, an overview paragraph, and subsequent body paragraphs dedicated to grouping the economic sectors logically. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Finally', and 'Similarly' are used to connect ideas, though referencing and transitional links are occasionally mechanical or slightly clunky. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different features of the chart, satisfying the requirements for a solid, well-structured essay while showing partial elements of a more fluid organizational style.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic trends and figures like 'gradually', 'drastically', and 'peak'. The writer attempts less common vocabulary such as 'contribution' and 'sector', but these attempts are accompanied by some word-choice and spelling inaccuracies that do not impede communication. Examples include typos and awkward phrasing such as 'andin' instead of 'and in', 'heighest' instead of 'highest', and 'fall lower' instead of 'fell lower'. The lexical range remains somewhat limited and repetitive, which prevents the writing from achieving higher precision and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures reasonably well. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('in 190' instead of 'in 1980' or a similar year), preposition errors ('reached to 20 million' instead of 'reached 20 million'), and spacing issues like 'itwas' and 'andin'. Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication, and the majority of simple sentences are clear. To reach a higher band, the writer would need to eliminate recurring slips in verb complementation and maintain a wider variety of error-free complex structures.

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