Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-08

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 chart illustrates the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy such as, manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the highest figure for jobs was recorded in the manufactuirng sector. The figures for manufacturing and agriculture sectors reduced over the period, while the figures for retail and healthcare rose sharply.

To begin with, in 1960, number of jobs in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors were 15 million and 6 million, respectively, while the figure for the manufacturing sector increased to 20 million in 1980, then decreased gradually to 13 million by 2020. In contarst, the figure for agriculture sector fell to 3 million in 1980, then remained stable before declining to 2 million in 2020.

To continue with, in 1960, the number of jobs in the retail and healthcare sectors were 6 million, while the figures for both sectors increased gradually to 10 million and 5 million, respectively, in 1980. Additionally, these figures rose sharply till 2020, where they ended their run on the same figure of 16 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the four sectors and give a clear overview of the broad trends: manufacturing and agriculture decline overall, while retail and healthcare rise. Several key figures are also reported accurately, including manufacturing’s peak at 20 million and agriculture’s fall to 2 million. However, the overview says manufacturing had the highest figure, which is true only for part of the period: by 2020, retail and healthcare both reached 16 million, above manufacturing. The final paragraph also compresses the later retail and healthcare trends into a general rise, without noting that retail grows more slowly after 2000 while healthcare rises substantially. Make the overview reflect the changing rankings and develop these comparisons more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the declining sectors and the rising sectors. This makes the main progression easy to follow. You also use linking expressions such as “Overall,” “To begin with,” and “In contrast.” However, some transitions feel mechanical, particularly “To continue with,” and the repeated “figures” and “sectors” make the connections less flexible. In the final paragraph, “these figures” is not fully precise because it refers to two different sectors with different values. Use clearer references and connect the comparisons directly—for example, explain how healthcare catches up with retail by 2020.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for describing the chart, with useful terms such as “increased,” “decreased,” “remained stable,” and “rose sharply.” These choices communicate the main movements clearly. However, some phrasing is awkward or imprecise, including “ended their run on the same figure,” while “the information about the number of jobs” is less direct than standard chart-reporting language. There are also spelling errors in “manufactuirng” and “contarst,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise collocations such as “stood at,” “reached a peak,” and “finished at the same level,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the description more natural and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause beginning “while” and a sequence with “then,” and the meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “in 1960, number of jobs” needs an article (“the number”), and “the number of jobs … were” has a subject–verb agreement problem because “number” is singular. In “the number of jobs in the retail and healthcare sectors were 6 million,” the plural value also obscures that each sector had a separate figure. The sentence beginning “Additionally” is understandable but its “where” clause is not well formed for describing a year. Review articles, agreement, and clause construction while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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