Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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 the number of job opportunities (mentioned in millions) available in 4 different areas of economy present in United States from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it can be seen that the healthcare sector experienced a huge increase in the amount of jobs as compared to the start till end. Meanwhile, the jobs in manufacturing sector rose for some time but then eventually dropped.

When talking about the agriculture field, their numbers started from 6 millions in 1960 and then fall steadily to 3 million in 1980 before leveling off. While the manufacturing department faced a massive increase starting from 15 million to 20 million in the time period of 2 decades and then eventually started to drop and reached 12 million in 2020.

The healthcare and retail sector ended up at the same point at 16 million jobs in 2020. Although they started from different positions, the retail sector was at 6 million while on the other hand healthcare sector was at 2 millions in 1960.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important features accurately: manufacturing rises from 15 million to a peak of 20 million before declining, agriculture falls from 6 million to around 2 million, and retail and healthcare both finish at 16 million. The overview also highlights healthcare’s strong growth and manufacturing’s later fall. However, some key information is less fully reported: retail’s steady rise from 6 to 16 million is not described, and healthcare’s intermediate growth to 5 million in 1980 and 11 million in 2000 is omitted. The manufacturing endpoint is given as 12 million rather than approximately 13 million, and agriculture’s final figure is not stated. Covering these trends and endpoints more completely would make the summary more balanced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and then details about the sectors. The ideas are generally easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall” and “Meanwhile” help signal relationships. However, the body does not group or compare the trends consistently: agriculture and manufacturing are discussed first, while retail receives little attention beyond its final value. The opening of the final paragraph, “The healthcare and retail sector ended up…,” also shifts abruptly from the previous comparisons. Some linking is mechanical, particularly “When talking about” and “Although… while on the other hand.” Organising the details into clearer comparisons—for example, declining agriculture versus rising healthcare, then manufacturing versus retail—would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to describe trends, including “experienced a huge increase,” “leveling off,” “massive increase,” and “eventually started to drop.” These choices make the main movements understandable, and the response uses relevant terms such as “sector” and “millions.” Some expressions are imprecise or informal for an academic chart summary: “job opportunities … available” suggests vacancies rather than the number of jobs, while “department” is not the best label for an economic sector. “Huge” and “massive” are also repeated in meaning and could be replaced with more measured language. More precise trend vocabulary and natural collocations would make the description clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “Although they started from different positions” and a time clause describing manufacturing’s rise and fall. The main meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “their numbers started … and then fall” shifts tense; use “fell.” In “the healthcare and retail sector,” the plural subject requires “sectors,” and “2 millions” should be “2 million.” The phrase “from the start till end” is also awkwardly formed, and “When talking about the agriculture field” creates an incomplete-sounding introductory construction. Check tense consistency, singular/plural agreement, and article and phrase structure while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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