Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31

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 REPRESENTS DATA REGARDING THE JOBS AVAILABLE IN FOUR AREAS OF THE ECONOMY IN THE US BETWEEN 1960 AND 2020.

OVERALL, IT HAS SHOWN THAT MANUFACTURING AND AGRICULTURE WITNESSED A SLIGHT FALL WHEREAS RETAIL AND HEALTHCARE SAW A UPWARD TREND.

ACCORDING TO THE GRAPH, MANUFACTURING STARTED AT A PEAK AT 15 MILLIONS JOBS OPPORTUNITIES IN 1960 AMONG THE FOUR SECTORS BEFORE RISING AT 20 MILLIONS IN 1980. THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYMENTS DECREASED UNDER 20 MILLIONS IN 2000, IN 2020 IT FELL AROUND 13 MILLIONS IN 2020. AGRICULTURE SECTOR ALSO WITNESSED A DOWNWARD TREND. IT BEGAN ABOVE 5 MILLIONS JOBS IN 1960. BUT IN 1980, IT EXPERIENCED A DECREASE IN 1980, AND IT CONTINUED IN 2000 AND 2020.

ON THE OTHER HAND, HEATHCARE SHOWED AN UPWARD TREND. IT STARTED NEARLY 2 MILLIONS JOBS OPPORTUNITIES IN 1960. AFTER THAT THIS SECTOR REACHED 5 MILLIONS IN 1980. IN 2000 IT CREATED JOBS ABOVE 10 MILLIONS AND IN 2020 IT REACHED AT AROUND 16 MILLIONS. BESIDES, RETAIL SECTOR ALSO CONTINUED A RISE FROM 1960 TO 2020. IT STARTED FROM AROUND 6 MILLIONS AND REACHED AT ABOVE 15 MILLIONS.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall contrast: manufacturing and agriculture decline over the period, while retail and healthcare rise. You also include several relevant figures, such as manufacturing reaching 20 million in 1980 and healthcare rising to about 16 million by 2020. This gives the report a clear basis in the graph. However, some details are vague or incomplete: agriculture’s fall is not quantified beyond saying it began above five million, and retail’s rise is not traced through the intermediate years. The overview also calls the manufacturing decline “slight,” although its total falls from 15 million to 13 million after peaking at 20 million. More precise comparisons, including that retail and healthcare both finish at about 16 million, would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by a paragraph on the declining sectors and one on the rising sectors. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “Besides” help signal the shift between groups, and the reader can follow the broad progression. Some linking is repetitive or mechanical, however, with repeated “in 1980” and “in 2000” constructions. The manufacturing account also repeats the year 2020 in one sentence, which interrupts the flow. A few references are not fully clear, particularly “it continued in 2000 and 2020,” because the reader must infer the values and the extent of the decline. Use more varied time comparisons and connect related figures directly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “upward trend,” “downward trend,” “decreased,” and “reached.” These choices make the main movements understandable, and the report uses relevant sector terminology. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “jobs opportunities,” “number of employments,” “started at a peak,” and “reached at.” “Slight fall” also does not precisely convey the manufacturing pattern, which rises before declining. There is a spelling error in “HEATHCARE,” and repeated use of “started” and “reached” limits flexibility. Aim for standard chart-reporting phrases such as “the number of jobs,” “stood at,” “rose to,” and “fell to,” while checking spelling and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and the overall meaning is generally clear. The overview uses a contrast structure with “whereas,” while the body includes time clauses and sequencing phrases. Some grammatical errors remain, especially with articles, plurals, and prepositions: “a upward trend” should be “an upward trend,” “15 millions jobs” should be “15 million jobs,” and “reached at around 16 millions” needs a different construction. The manufacturing sentence beginning “The number of employments decreased under 20 millions” is also awkwardly structured, and the repeated “in 2020” weakens control of punctuation and sentence flow. Practise accurate number phrases and vary sentence patterns while keeping each sentence concise.

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