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 below depict the number of jobs available in the United States economy in four different sectors (Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare) between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, The Healthcare sector experience significant growth in jobs. The Retail sector jobs also rise during the time. However, The Manufacturing sector jobs was dropped dramatically. Furthermore, The Agriculture sector was also seen with slightly fall.

In 1960, Manufacturing sector has the highest number of jobs with around 15 million, followed by the Retail and the Agriculture with more than 5 million each and lastly the Healthcare sector with less than 5 million. In 1980, Manufacturing sector job increases to 20 million, Retail to 10 million, Healthcare to 5 million whereas Agriculture jobs was dropped from 5 to less than million

During 2000, The Manufacturing sector started declining and fall to less than 20 million, The Agriculture also dropped in the same year. However, The Retail and the Healthcare both sector jobs rise.

By 2020, The Manufacturing and the Agriculture jobs sector continously falling whereas the Retail and the Healthcare sector have seen rise in jobs in the United States economy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four sectors. An appropriate overall trend is provided in the second paragraph. However, some aspects are under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies; for example, stating that the Manufacturing sector fell to 'less than 20 million' in 2000 is imprecise given that it stood around 17 million, and some data points lack precise comparative depth. The key trends—such as the dramatic rise of Healthcare and the decline of Agriculture—are correctly identified, placing the response securely in this category.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, overview, and body details. Information and ideas are generally presented in a logical sequence, moving chronologically from 1960 through 1980 and 2000 to 2020. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, as seen with repetitive transitions and slightly awkward linking phrases between sentences (e.g., 'Furthermore, The Agriculture sector was also seen with slightly fall'). Referencing and paragraph transitions could be smoother to achieve a higher level of progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'economy', 'sector', and 'manufacturing'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and reporting verbs, but these are accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, form, and collocation, such as 'sector jobs was dropped dramatically', 'slightly fall', and 'continously falling'. Spelling and word formation errors occasionally surface, though they do not seriously impede communication, reflecting a solid intermediate lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic structures. However, there are frequent errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'The line graph below depict', 'sector job increases', and 'both sector jobs rise'. Articles are also misused inconsistently throughout the text (e.g., 'the Healthcare and the Retail both sector jobs rise'). These errors occur regularly across complex and simple structures, but they rarely impede overall communication.

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