Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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 graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US for the time period between 1960 and 2020.

Manufacturing had most number of empolyement in 1960 as compared to others and having a raise towards 1980 and after 1980 has a downward trend till 2020. Healthcare and retail had continuously upward trend and meeting same number of jobs by 2020 and surpassing manufacturing.Agriculture had number of jobs equal to retail in 1960 and had a downward trend since than till 2020.

Manufacturing had 15 million jobs in 1960 and raise in jobs to 20 million by 1980 and the number continuously decreaces to 16 million and 13 million by 2020. Agriculture had 6 million jobs in 1960 and had a stable number of 3 million from 1980 to 2000 and that number declined to 2 million by 2020.

Retail also had 6 million jobs by 1960 while healthcare had 2 million, both the sectors kept their trend upwards while coming close to manufacturing in 2000 having 15 million and 11 miliion. By 2020 both the sectors had same amount of employement of 16 million surpassing the manufacturing sector.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main patterns accurately: manufacturing peaks in 1980 before declining, agriculture falls overall, and retail and healthcare rise to equal levels by 2020, overtaking manufacturing. It also supports these points with relevant figures, including manufacturing’s 15-to-20-million rise and agriculture’s decline from 6 to 2 million. The overview is clear, and the account covers all four sectors. One factual detail needs correction: manufacturing is reported at 16 million in 2000, whereas the graph shows about 17 million. The phrase “meeting same number of jobs by 2020” is also imprecise because retail and healthcare reach 16 million, rather than simply meeting each other. More precise comparisons would strengthen an otherwise well-supported summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a summary of the main trends, and further paragraphs with figures. The reader can follow the broad movement from the overview to the sector details, and comparisons between manufacturing, retail and healthcare are relevant. However, progression is weakened by long, crowded sentences and limited paragraph separation. For example, the second sentence combines manufacturing’s rise and fall with the trends in two other sectors, while the final paragraph repeats the 2020 comparison already made earlier. Some links are also awkward, such as “while coming close to manufacturing in 2000.” Grouping the declining sectors separately from the rising sectors, and using clearer transitions, would make the organisation more controlled and less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant task vocabulary, including “downward trend,” “stable number,” “surpassing,” and “million jobs,” so the main information is generally understandable. However, the range and control are uneven, with several noticeable spelling and word-choice problems: “empolyement,” “decreaces,” “miliion,” and “employement.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “had most number of employment,” “kept their trend upwards,” and “same amount of employment.” These choices make the description less fluent and occasionally obscure the intended comparison. Use standard collocations such as “the highest number of jobs,” “rose steadily,” and “the same number of jobs,” and check spelling carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, complex sentences are often not controlled accurately. For example, “Manufacturing had most number … and having a raise … and after 1980 has a downward trend” shifts between incomplete and finite verb forms; “Agriculture had number of jobs equal to retail” is missing an article; and “since than till 2020” has an incorrect grammatical form. There are also punctuation and sentence-boundary problems, notably the missing space after “manufacturing.” Aim for complete clauses with consistent past-tense verbs, and separate ideas that currently run together. More accurate sentence construction would make the trends easier to interpret.

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