Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-28

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 illustrate number of jobs in United States between 1960 and 2020 in four sectors of economy.

Overall, Manufacturing accounted for most of the economy. Number of jobs in agriculture sector remained the lowest throughout [redacted phone]. Retail jobs started on lower side but gained numbers significantly. While healthcare started lowest and ended up being most taken from [redacted phone].

Manufacturing accounted for 15 million jobs in 1960 which increased to 20 million in 1980. After that numbers plummeted through 2020 to 13 million. Retail jobs seen steady upward trends throughout the given period. Numbers Increased from 6 million to 15 million during the given time. Agriculture sector started same as retail but numbers declined over time. In 1960 Agriculture sector had 6 million jobs which declined to 2.5 million. Which, further declined in 2000 through 2020. Number of jobs in healthcare sector started lowest at nearly 2.5 million. In 1980, numbers doubled to 5 million. Numbers surged from 1980 to 2020. Healthcare numbers ended at 15 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall patterns: manufacturing peaks in 1980 and then declines, agriculture remains the smallest sector, and retail and healthcare rise. The key comparisons are relevant, and most figures you give are close to the chart. However, the overview says manufacturing accounted for “most of the economy,” which overstates the data: it had the most jobs only in some years, while retail and healthcare both reached about 16 million by 2020. The account of retail also omits its 2020 figure, and the agriculture description is unclear about the later decline. Clarify the end-point comparison and report the main trends consistently to make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about each sector. This makes the information easy to follow in broad terms. Some links between ideas are less controlled, however. For example, “Which, further declined in 2000 through 2020” is a fragment and does not clearly connect the agriculture figures; “While healthcare…” is also an incomplete sentence in the overview. The repeated pattern of starting each detail with a sector name or “Numbers” makes the progression somewhat mechanical. Use complete sentences and clearer comparisons between sectors, especially at the 2020 endpoint, to strengthen the flow and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of trend vocabulary, including “increased,” “declined,” “doubled,” and “surged,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more descriptive phrasing, such as “remained the lowest” and “steady upward trends.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task: “most of the economy” should refer specifically to jobs, “most taken” is unclear, and “numbers plummeted” is too strong for the gradual decline shown. “Retail jobs seen steady upward trends” also has an awkward collocation. Choose precise terms such as “employment,” “rose steadily,” and “had the highest number of jobs,” and avoid repeating “numbers” when a more specific noun is available.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including time clauses such as “After that…” and a contrast introduced by “While.” Most of the trends remain understandable, but some errors in sentence structure and agreement prevent consistently accurate expression. The opening needs “The line graph illustrates the number of jobs…”; “Retail jobs seen steady upward trends” is missing a finite verb, and “While healthcare started lowest…” is a dependent clause without a main clause. The agriculture sentence beginning “Which” is also a fragment. There are further issues with articles and number agreement, as in “in four sectors of economy” and “numbers increased.” Build complete clauses, check subject–verb agreement, and use articles consistently.

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