Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 graph demonstrates data regarding the number of occupations in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020 timeframe.

Overall, it is clear that in the beginning Manufacturing job remained in top among the four sectors whereas Healthcare stayed at the bottom. However, over the years it had changed and Healthcare increased significantly.

Firstly, from 1960 to 2000, Healthcare and Retail showed a sharp increase and reached at over 10 million and 15 million respectively. Afterwards, between 2000 and 2020, Retail slightly increased and stayed over 15 million. Meanwhile, Healthcare showed upward trend and hit over 15 million.

In contrast, from 1960 to 1980, Agriculture inclined significantly at 5 million. Additionally, Manufacturing also showed an upward trend by 5 million. Between 1980 and 2000, Agriculture remained unchange and then in 2020 it showed a small decline at around 2 million. On the contrary, between 1980 to 2020, Manufacturing showed plummet over the years and stayed under 15 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main broad shifts: manufacturing starts as the largest sector, healthcare starts as the smallest, and healthcare rises substantially. Several figures and trends are also reported accurately, including retail reaching about 15 million by 2000 and agriculture falling to around 2 million by 2020. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not clearly state that retail and healthcare both finish at about 16 million, jointly the highest, while agriculture remains lowest. There is also a significant reversal in the description of agriculture: it declined from about 6 million to 3 million between 1960 and 1980, rather than “inclined.” The manufacturing fall is broadly right, but “plummet” overstates the change. A clearer, more complete overview and more precise reporting would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping rising and falling sectors. Time markers such as “from 1960 to 2000” and “between 1980 and 2000” help the reader follow the periods, while “In contrast” signals a change of focus. However, the grouping is not always easy to track because the first detail paragraph combines healthcare and retail, while the next shifts between agriculture and manufacturing across several time spans. Some links are mechanical, and “Additionally” does not express a meaningful contrast or sequence in its context. Organise the details more consistently—for example, describe the two rising sectors together, then the two declining or fluctuating sectors—and use transitions that accurately show the relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “sharp increase,” “upward trend,” “remained,” and “decline,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, some inaccurate word choices and collocations that reduce precision. “Agriculture inclined significantly” gives the opposite trend from the chart; “plummet” is too strong for manufacturing’s gradual decline; and “job remained in top” is not a natural way to describe the leading sector. “Number of occupations” is also less precise than “number of jobs.” Aim for accurate, conventional chart language such as “fell,” “rose,” “remained stable,” “was the largest,” and “declined steadily.” This would make your descriptions more precise without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “whereas,” “and,” and “between,” and most sentences communicate the intended comparison. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “Manufacturing job remained in top” needs an article and a more complete construction, while “Agriculture remained unchange” has an incorrect form and “Healthcare showed upward trend” is missing an article. The phrase “between 1980 to 2020” also combines two different preposition patterns; use “between 1980 and 2020” or “from 1980 to 2020.” Check subject–verb agreement and articles as well, particularly in general descriptions of sectors. More consistent control of these patterns would make the response smoother and more accurate.

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.