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 chart illustrates information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy, namely manufacturing, retail, agricuture and healthcare from 1960 to 2020. Manufacturing and agriculture have seen a decline from their intitial position whereas retail and healthcare has seen a rise.

The center of gravity of jobs has shifted from manufacturing and agriculture to retail and healthcare. In the 1960 manufacturing jobs were around 15 million whereas jobs in healthcare were less than 2.5 million and just over 5 million for retail and agricuture.

But over the years the agricultural sector has seen a consistent decrease in the number of jobs stooping down to nearly 2.5 million, while jobs in manufacturing increased by nearly 5 million in 1980 then dropped down to 13 million in 2020. However jobs in retail and healthcare have been increasing consistently reaching a maximum in 2020 at around 16 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall shift: manufacturing and agriculture decline over the period, while retail and healthcare grow. You also include relevant figures, such as manufacturing at about 15 million initially and healthcare and retail reaching around 16 million by 2020. However, some details are incomplete or imprecise: manufacturing peaks at 20 million in 1980 before falling, and healthcare rises steadily from about 2 million to 16 million. The claim that retail and healthcare increased “consistently” is broadly accurate, but the overview could more clearly compare their final positions with manufacturing and identify agriculture as the smallest sector. The response is 139 words, below the required 150, so it also needs fuller reporting of key stages and comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by details about the starting point and subsequent trends. Linking expressions such as “whereas,” “But over the years,” and “However” help signal contrasts, and the main ideas are generally easy to follow. However, the information is compressed into three paragraphs, with the final paragraph carrying several trends and figures at once. Some connections are also slightly mechanical, particularly the repeated contrast markers. A clearer structure would separate the overview from the detailed comparisons and group the rising sectors together, then the declining sectors. This would make the progression more deliberate and help readers compare the series without having to infer relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of task vocabulary, including “decline,” “increased,” “dropped,” and “consistently,” and “center of gravity” is an ambitious way to describe the shift between sectors. Some choices are imprecise or awkward for chart reporting: “initial position” is vague, “stooping down” is not a natural collocation for a falling figure, and “reaching a maximum” does not clearly convey that both sectors finish at roughly the same level. There are also spelling errors in “agricuture” and “intitial.” Aim for precise trend language and standard spellings, for example “starting level,” “fell to,” and “ended at approximately 16 million.” This would make the description more natural and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “Manufacturing and agriculture have seen a decline … whereas retail and healthcare…” and the time clause “while jobs in manufacturing increased…” The overall meaning remains clear. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In the overview, the plural subject “retail and healthcare” takes “have,” not “has.” The phrase “In the 1960” needs a plural decade form (“In 1960”), and “jobs in healthcare were less than 2.5 million and just over 5 million for retail and agriculture” lacks a clear parallel structure. Review subject–verb agreement, time expressions, and sentence construction when comparing several figures. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen control.

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