Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-01

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 provides the imformation about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the United states between 1960 and 2020.

overall, It is clear see that Manufacturing at its highest then sudden fell. while agriculture at its lowest over the time period. In contrast, Retail and Healthcare rose sharply and took over the manufacturing jobs.

Manufacturing stood at highest which is 20 million jobs in 1980 then faced a sharp decline which is 13 million by the end of time period . on the other hand Healthcare and retail increase sharply at 2 million and 6 million in 1960 then both were combined at 16 million in 2020 and took over the manufacturing. While, Agriculture stood at 6 million similar to retail in 1960 then decrease gradually at around 4 million in 1980 and then remained constant over the time period in 2020.

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 grow substantially. You also include several relevant figures, such as manufacturing’s fall to 13 million and healthcare’s rise from 2 to 16 million. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: agriculture is reported at around 4 million in 1980, whereas the chart shows about 3 million, and it falls to about 2 million by 2020 rather than remaining constant. The claim that retail and healthcare “took over” manufacturing is imprecise, since both reach about 16 million in 2020, above manufacturing. The response is 135 words, below the 150-word minimum; use the space to report the missing end-point comparisons more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to details, and the main trends are generally easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “In contrast” and “on the other hand” help signal comparisons. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or unclear: “while” begins a fragment after the overview, and “both were combined at 16 million” does not clearly explain that retail and healthcare each reached approximately 16 million. The final sentence also combines agriculture’s starting value, decline and later pattern in a confusing sequence. Use separate sentences to group manufacturing, the two rising sectors, and agriculture, and make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “sharp decline,” “rose sharply,” “highest,” and “lowest,” which communicates the broad movements. Some word choices and collocations are imprecise, however. “Both were combined at 16 million” suggests a total rather than two separate figures, while “stood at highest” is not a natural way to describe a peak. There are also spelling and form errors, including “imformation” and “increase” where a past-tense form is needed; spelling and word form affect this criterion. Aim for precise trend language such as “reached a peak,” “each rose to,” and “declined gradually,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons introduced by “while” and “then,” and the intended meaning is usually recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in sentence construction and tense. For example, “It is clear see that” is missing a grammatical construction, and “Manufacturing stood at highest which is 20 million” mixes an incomplete phrase with inconsistent tense. The sentence beginning “on the other hand Healthcare and retail increase sharply” also needs past-tense verbs and clearer punctuation. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including the lower-case “overall” and spaces before full stops. Build complete sentences with consistent past-tense reporting and review clause boundaries.

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