Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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 provided line graph delineates the information regarding the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy from 1960 to 2020.

In essence, the graph comprises four distinct categories of jobs, including manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare. Moreover, the trending job was manufacturing and agriculture had the lowest jobs.

Starting with manufacturing, this was the most popular and in 1960 there were 15 million jobs, which climbed to 20 million by 1980. However, this figure fall consistently after 1980 and reached approximately 14 million by 2020. Turning to retail, the number of jobs were nearly above 5 million in 1960 but it experienced a massive and constant growth and reached 15 million in 40 years. However, it slightly increased after 2000 and reached nearly 15.5 million by 2020.

Followed by healthcare, it was around 2.5 million in 1960 but similarly to retail, the number of jobs climbed to 15.5 million by 2020. By contrast, agriculture was the only category where the number of jobs consistently reduced. It started similar to retail, at 5.5 million but declined to 2.2 million by 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting data across all four sectors from 1960 to 2020 and includes a clear overview of the main trends. However, some ideas are unevenly developed. For instance, the overview statement that 'manufacturing was the trending job' is somewhat vague and imprecise. Furthermore, some data points are slightly inaccurate, such as stating that manufacturing reached approximately 14 million by 2020 when the graph shows around 13 million, and the reference to retail in 1960 as 'nearly above 5 million' is imprecise. To reach a higher level, the student needs to select and report key features with greater precision and ensure that all comparisons are fully supported by accurate data readings.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at logical progression through the use of paragraphs. Each paragraph handles a specific part of the data effectively. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical or repetitive, particularly in the reliance on transitions like 'However', which is used three times in close succession. Additionally, referencing could be smoother, as seen in 'Followed by healthcare, it was around 2.5 million', which creates a slightly awkward link. To achieve a higher score, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure that paragraph transitions flow naturally without relying on formulaic connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, and the student attempts less common lexical items such as 'delineates', 'experience a massive and constant growth', and 'consistently reduced'. However, there are some noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, writing 'the trending job was manufacturing' is unnatural, and 'the number of jobs were' contains a minor subject-verb agreement error classified under grammar, but the vocabulary choice 'figure fall' features a tense/form error ('fall' instead of 'fell'). Spelling is generally accurate, but upgrading expressions to more precise academic terms would enhance the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and subordinate structures, such as 'which climbed to 20 million by 1980' and 'where the number of jobs consistently reduced.' There are some errors in grammar, such as 'the number of jobs were' (where the plural verb 'were' incorrectly follows the singular head noun 'number') and the past tense error in 'this figure fall consistently'. Nonetheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the descriptions easily. To progress further, the writer needs to increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and maintain strict control over subject-verb agreement.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.