Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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 given line graph compares the number of jobs contributing in four sectors like Manufacturing, Retail, Agricultural and Healthcare of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, Manufacturing sector has highest number of jobs till 1980, afterwards it fell till 2020. where as Agricultural sector has least contribution to Economy. the two other sectors Retail and Healthcare showed its contribution increasing throughout the period of time.

In 1960, Manufacturing had 15 million jobs and it rose to 20 millions in two decades. After 1980, Jobs in Manufacturing gradually decreased with time. By 2020, it reached to 13 million jobs. Another sector Agriculture showed decreasing trend. From 1960 to 1980 , it decreased by 2 million jobs. for the next two decades, it remained unchanged at 4 million jobs and further decreased to only 2 million jobs in 2020.

Retail and Healthcare showed all time increasing trend in the given time period. Retail had 6 million jobs in 1960 where as Healthcare had only 2 million jobs. Both sector increased to 16 million jobs from 1960 to 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview and reporting the main features and comparisons of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The selection of data is generally accurate, capturing trends such as the peak and subsequent decline of Manufacturing, the steady rise of Retail and Healthcare, and the low contribution of Agriculture. However, some areas show minor inaccuracies or under-development; for example, the text mentions that Agriculture 'remained unchanged at 4 million jobs', whereas the graph shows it at approximately 3 million, reflecting a slight lapse in precision. The overview is present and captures the broad picture effectively, satisfying the requirements for a score in this band by presenting relevant ideas with adequate, though not fully elaborated, support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The report displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the different sectors. Information is logically grouped, and the progression of ideas is generally clear. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty, such as the abrupt transition 'where as Agricultural sector' and minor issues with referencing and punctuation. Cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In 1960', and 'After 1980' are used to structure the text, but the management of internal cohesive ties lacks flexibility and occasionally disrupts the natural flow of reading, keeping the response firmly within this level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to data trends such as 'gradually decreased', 'decreasing trend', and 'increasing throughout the period of time'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'contribution' and 'unchanged', though some word choices and collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'contributing in four sectors like' or 'all time increasing trend'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the descriptions of the chart without difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as time clauses and relative comparisons. There are some grammar and punctuation errors present, notably missing articles ('Manufacturing sector', 'Agricultural sector', 'Retail and Healthcare showed all time') and minor preposition or pluralization slips (e.g., 'to 20 millions'). While these errors occur regularly throughout the response, they rarely impede communication. The control over complex structures is limited, with occasional faulty patterns that prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

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