Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-07

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 number of jobs in millions in manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare sector of the economy in US in 4 decades. Overall, manufacturing sector started at remarkably higher value, followed by retail and agriculture at particularly similar value. However, healthcare sector had lower jobs initially.

In first two decades, similar upward trend was observed in manufacturing, retail and healthcare department starting from low of 15M, 6M and 2.5M to high of 20M, 10M and 5M respectively.

Conversely, number of jobs declined for agriculture sector from 6M to around 3M.

In last next two decades, considerable drop happened in manufacturing sector falling from 20M to 17M. In contrast, jobs in retail and healthcare feild almost doubled till the end of 2000. However, value for agriculture scetor remained constant throught the period.

In final two decades, value further declined to 13M for manufacturing department. Healthcare jobs became significantly high till the end of the period touching the high of 16M. 1M of slight increase and decrease was observed in retail and agriculture sector respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall pattern: manufacturing begins as the largest sector, while healthcare grows substantially and agriculture declines. You also report several key figures accurately, including manufacturing’s peak of 20 million in 1980 and healthcare’s rise to 16 million by 2020. However, some comparisons are incomplete or unclear. For example, retail and healthcare do not both “almost double” from 1980 to 2000: retail rises from 10 to 15 million, while healthcare rises from 5 to 11 million. The overview could also state more clearly that retail and healthcare finish jointly highest, and that agriculture is the smallest sector by the end. More precise comparisons and a clearer summary of the final ranking would make the main features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a generally logical sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by changes across successive periods. Time markers such as “In first two decades” and “In final two decades” help the reader follow the timeline, and contrasts such as “Conversely” and “In contrast” signal relationships between sectors. However, the organisation becomes somewhat mechanical because the account repeatedly divides the graph into periods without consistently comparing all four sectors within each stage. “In last next two decades” is also confusing, and the final sentence combines several separate trends without clearly distinguishing them. Grouping the sectors by their overall patterns—rising, falling, or fluctuating—and using clearer transitions would improve progression and make comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “upward trend,” “declined,” “considerable drop,” and “remained constant.” These choices communicate the broad movements in the graph. However, several expressions are imprecise or awkward for describing data, such as “started at remarkably higher value,” “jobs became significantly high,” and “touching the high of 16M.” There are also spelling errors in “feild,” “scetor,” and “throught,” alongside inconsistent choices such as “department” for an economic sector. These slips do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Prefer standard chart language such as “stood at,” “rose to,” “reached a peak,” and “sector,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including contrast clauses beginning “However” and “Conversely,” and the sentence describing the three sectors’ rises. The main trends remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Articles and noun phrases are often incomplete: “illustrates number of jobs” needs an article, and “in US” would normally be “in the US.” The opening overview also has an unclear construction in “started at remarkably higher value,” while “In first two decades” and “In last next two decades” show problems with article use and phrasing. Some sentences join several ideas in ways that make their relationships difficult to parse. Practise accurate article use and build comparisons in complete, clearly structured sentences; this would improve control while retaining your range.

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