Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

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 chart compares the number of jobs available in four sectors of the economy- Manifacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare- in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, it is clear that the availability of jobs was higher in manufacturing sector at the start but later on retail and healthcare sectors overtook and became dominant job source at the end of period. whereas figure decreased across agricultural sector.

In 1960, Manufacturing sector was the primary source of jobs with 15 millions job and reached to 20 millions in 1980. After that figure start dropping and reached to less than 15 millions in 2020. Retail and healthcare sectors started with less number of jobs at the start of period, and number kept increasing steadily throughout the period and peaked at approximately 15 millions at the end of period.

In 1960, number of jobs available in agriculture sector was more than 5 millions, afterward figure dropped and at the end of period reached less than 5 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall pattern: manufacturing leads initially, while retail and healthcare grow and agriculture declines. You also include several relevant figures, such as manufacturing rising from 15 million to 20 million before falling, and agriculture ending below its starting level. This covers the task well, with some features reported accurately. However, the account of retail and healthcare is less precise: they did not both start at the same level, and by 2020 both reached about 16 million, rather than approximately 15 million. The overview also says they became dominant, but does not clearly distinguish their final position from manufacturing. More exact comparisons and a clearer account of the two rising sectors would make the summary more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the sector trends. The sequence from the initial figures to later changes is generally easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall” and “After that” help signal progression. However, the final body paragraph groups retail and healthcare together even though their starting values differ, which makes the comparison less clear. The overview’s “whereas” clause is also detached after a full stop, and “at the start of period” is repeated. Use clearer links to contrast the sectors and organise the details by meaningful comparisons—for example, manufacturing versus the two expanding sectors, followed by agriculture.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “reached,” “dropping,” “increasing steadily,” “peaked,” and “decreased.” This gives the response enough range to communicate the main movements. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “availability of jobs,” “dominant job source,” “reached to,” and “less number of jobs.” “Manifacturing” is also misspelled, and “millions job” uses an incorrect form. These errors are noticeable and reduce precision, although the intended meaning is generally understandable. Aim for standard chart language such as “number of jobs,” “largest employment sector,” “rose to,” and “fewer jobs,” and check spelling and plural forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including “After that figure start dropping” and the overview’s contrast between sectors. The main trends remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “figure start dropping” needs past-tense agreement (“the figure started to drop”), while “Manufacturing sector was” and “at the start of period” need articles. The sentence beginning “whereas figure decreased” is not properly attached to the preceding sentence, and the comma in “In 1960, number of jobs…” does not resolve the missing article. These issues show that sentence patterns are not yet consistently controlled. Practise past-tense reporting, articles, plural agreement, and punctuation when joining contrasting clauses.

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