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 line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors including Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare in the US from 1960 to 2020. Overall, it is clear that the manufacturing accounted for the highest proportion at the beginning of the period , whereas Heathcare recorded the smallest share at the beginning and ending of the period. In 1960, the figure for the manufacturing stood at 15 million which was the highest proportion among all jobs . Retail and agriculture jobs made up 6 million. Heathcare was 2 millions. By 1980, the figure for the manufacturing increased dramatically, representing for 20 million. There was a significant increase to 10 million in retail jobs. By contrast, agriculture jobs decreased dramatically, falling to 3 million. Heathcare stood at 5 million. Regarding remaining years, the figure for the manufacturing 17 million in 2000, before falling to 13 million by 2020. Retail and agriculture stood at 15 million and 3 million repectively in 2000. Heathcare made up 11 million, before increasing to 16 million by 2020

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the four sectors across the full period and report many figures accurately, including manufacturing’s rise to 20 million in 1980 and subsequent fall, and agriculture’s decline. The overview identifies manufacturing as the largest sector in 1960 and healthcare as the smallest then, but it incorrectly says healthcare was also the smallest in 2020: healthcare and retail were both about 16 million, the joint highest figures. The response would be stronger with a clearer overview of the main long-term patterns, especially healthcare’s substantial growth and agriculture’s continued decline, and with a direct comparison of the leading sectors at the end. Some details are reported more fully than the overall trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable chronological order, moving from 1960 to 1980 and then to the later years. Phrases such as “By contrast” and “Regarding remaining years” help signal shifts, and the figures are mostly grouped by time period. However, the final section compresses several comparisons into one sentence, while the overview does not clearly preview the main trends. Some linking is mechanical, and the repeated sentence openings “The figure for…” and “Healthcare…” make the progression less flexible. Use separate, balanced paragraphs for the overview and key trend groups, and connect comparisons more explicitly—for example, show how healthcare caught up with retail by 2020.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “increased dramatically,” “falling,” “stood at,” and “made up,” so the main trends are generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal reporting language, such as “recorded” and “representing.” However, some choices are inaccurate or awkward: “highest proportion” is not appropriate for job totals, “representing for 20 million” is an incorrect collocation, and “share” suggests proportions rather than numbers. Spelling errors such as “Heathcare” and “repectively” also reduce accuracy. Prefer precise terms such as “number,” “total,” and “reached,” and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple statements and more complex forms, including “which was the highest…” and “before falling to 13 million,” and the timeline is usually easy to follow. Some grammatical errors remain, but they rarely prevent understanding. For example, the opening overview has an unnecessary article in “the manufacturing,” and “Heathcare was 2 millions” has an incorrect plural form. Several later clauses omit a verb, as in “the figure for the manufacturing 17 million” and “Retail and agriculture stood…” where the intended figures could be expressed more clearly with parallel structures. Punctuation spacing is also inconsistent. Review articles, singular/plural agreement, and complete sentence structure, while continuing to use varied sentence forms.

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