Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-18

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 how many jobs in millions were there in the US in four sectors that were Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare throughout 20-year intervals from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, there were two different trends in how many jobs in the sectors over the period. The figures for Manufacturing, and Agriculture recorded a general decrease, while the other categories, being Retail, and Healthcare sectors, saw a, opposite trend. In the first year, the figure for Manufacturing ranked first, being high over the 60-year period.

Firstly, in 1960, the figures for Retail, and Healthcare stood at low levels. Nevertheless, there were markable increases over the next 40 years, being between 10 millions and 15 millions, but the figure for Retail kept higher than that figure for Healthcare. In 2020, the figure for those sectors saw a sustainable growth, and the number of jobs in the Healthcare sectors reach that of Manufacturing sectors.

In contrast, the figure for Manufacturing which was the highest in 1960 initially rose, however there was a plummet from 1980 onward, reaching around 13 millions, while the figure for Agriculture experienced a gradual fall over the 60-year period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall contrast: manufacturing and agriculture decline overall, while retail and healthcare rise. You also report several relevant figures, including manufacturing’s peak of about 20 million in 1980 and its fall to around 13 million by 2020. However, some comparisons are incomplete or imprecise. The overview says manufacturing ranked first in 1960, but does not highlight that healthcare and retail both reached about 16 million in 2020, jointly the highest figures. The account of retail and healthcare also says they rose to 10–15 million over the next 40 years, then describes further growth, without clearly distinguishing their 2000 and 2020 values. Include the key endpoint comparison and make each sector’s stages clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to rising sectors and then declining sectors. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the data. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Firstly,” and “In contrast” help signal the organisation, although the sequence within the retail and healthcare paragraph is not fully clear: the 40-year increase and the final-year growth are described without precise year-by-year distinctions. Some linking is also mechanical, and phrases such as “the figure for those sectors” make the reference less exact. Organise the body by clearly stated periods or compare the two rising sectors at each key year, using specific references to maintain progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “general decrease,” “rose,” “plummet,” and “gradual fall,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “stood at low levels.” However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “markable increases,” “a sustainable growth,” and “ranked first, being high” do not express the trends naturally. “Plummet” is also too strong for the gradual fall from 20 to 13 million across four decades. Use precise, conventional chart language and check collocations; for example, “marked increases,” “continued to grow,” and “declined steadily” would better fit the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “while” and “however,” and most of the message remains understandable. Some grammatical errors nevertheless recur. In the opening, “how many jobs … were there” uses question-style word order inside an indirect clause; write “the number of jobs … in the US.” There are also agreement and form problems in “the number of jobs … reach” and “the Healthcare sectors,” as well as awkward article and punctuation use in “a, opposite trend” and “the figures for Retail, and Healthcare.” These errors do not usually prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy. Practise embedded clauses, subject–verb agreement, and consistent singular/plural forms while retaining your complex sentence attempts.

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