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 graph illustrates the number of people employed in manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare sectors in the USA, between 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing sector experienced the sharpest rise in the graph, whereas, the agriculture sector remained at the lowest in the chart. Retail and healthcare sectors saw a consistent growth over the years, securing the same number of upto 15.5 million in 2020.

The most notable feature is the dramatic increase in the manufacturing sector in the year 1980. The number of jobs rose to 20 million from 15 million in 1960. However, it declined 1980 onwards to less than 15 million in 2020. The agriculture sector started with a little more than 5 million jobs, and remained fairly stable throught out the period.

In contrast, the retail sector grew marginally from 1960 to 2020, with the number of jobs going up from 5 million to more than 15 million. Furthermore, the healthcare sector also substantially improved from 1980 to 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and provides an overview, but some parts are more fully addressed than others. While the general trends are mentioned, certain details are inaccurate or lack precise comparison. For instance, stating that the manufacturing sector experienced the sharpest rise is slightly misleading when retail and healthcare grew much more consistently from lower starting points, and the peak in manufacturing was actually in 1980 at 20 million rather than the terminal year. The overview touches upon key features, but the development of ideas lacks depth in places, such as the agricultural sector which is described as fairly stable despite a clear downward trend from 6 million to 2 million. To reach a higher band, the data points need to be reported with greater accuracy and sharper analytical comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introductory paragraph to the overview and body paragraphs. Information is generally grouped by sector, creating a sensible flow. However, cohesion at times feels a bit mechanical or abrupt, particularly in transitions between sentences and paragraphs, such as the sudden shift into the final sentence about the healthcare sector. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different parts of the visual data. Referencing is mostly clear, though some connecting phrases could be deployed with more flexibility and precision to elevate the overall cohesion of the report.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic trends and data points with appropriate terms like "employed", "sector", "dramatic increase", and "marginally". There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally accompanied by minor inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, such as writing "upto 15.5 million" as one word and minor prepositional awkwardness. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate and do not impede communication. To achieve a higher lexical score, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated synonyms and more precise, flexible phrasing to describe statistical changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as introductory subordinate clauses and comparative constructions effectively. There are some grammatical errors present, such as omitting a preposition in "declined 1980 onwards" and missing articles in places, but these errors rarely impede communication and do not cause strain for the reader. Punctuation is generally controlled. To move towards a higher band, the writer needs to produce a greater proportion of error-free complex sentences and ensure tighter control over prepositions and modifiers.

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