Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-07-30
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 7.0)
The graph provides information about the number of employments in four sectors (manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare) of the economy in the America from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, it is evident that the manufacturing jobs significantly remained at highest figure despite little decline in the end. However, agriculture showed a notable downfall whereas, retail and healthcare kept on increasing throughout the time period.
As it is shown that the manufacturing sector was the most popular job in 1990 and 1980. It started from 15 millions and reached approximately to 20 million in 1980. While from 1980 it experienced a little downfall. In 2000, it fell around 18 and in 2020, it ended at 15 million again.
In contrast, retail and healthcare also rose steadily. In 1960, retail was at 5 and it reached approximately 15 million in 2020. Notably, healthcare started from 3 and ended at 15 in 2020.
Moreover, agriculture was the least popular job throughout the period. In 1960, it was about 5 million and it decreased around 1 million .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response covers all four sectors and identifies key trends over the period. The overview is clear, highlighting the dominance of manufacturing and the growth in retail and healthcare. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, the text mentions manufacturing was the most popular in '1990 and 1980' when the graph starts in 1960, and the description of the manufacturing peak is slightly imprecise. While the main features are selected, the analysis could be more detailed by comparing the sectors more explicitly at specific intervals rather than just listing them. Overall, it addresses the requirements of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sectors. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Moreover', and 'While' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of information is generally clear, moving from the dominant sector to the growing ones and finally the declining one. Referencing is mostly clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by varying the sentence structure more effectively to enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'notable downfall', 'steadily', and 'economy'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'number of employments' (should be 'number of jobs' or 'employment levels') and 'in the America' (should be 'in America' or 'in the US'). The student attempts to use specific terminology related to data description, which is appropriate. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing when describing trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'manufacturing jobs significantly remained at highest figure' (missing articles) and 'it fell around 18' (missing units). The phrase 'as it is shown that' is slightly awkward. While these errors are present, they do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. The student demonstrates a reasonable grasp of tense usage for historical data, but more attention to articles and prepositions would improve accuracy.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.