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 line graph tracks the number of jobs generated in four sectors of the US economy from 1960 to 2020.
Retail and healthcare sector had the highest seats by the year 2000 despite starting lower in 1960. Although manufacturing generated the highest employment initially, but the number of jobs saw an overall decrease in this sector.
Out of all 4 sectors, manufacturing jobs available were the biggest in number at 15 million in 2000. The number of manufacturing job vacancies peaked in 1990 reaching 20 million, before gradually decreasing to only 12.5 million in 2020. This was followed by retail and agricultural jobs, both starting at 6 million in 1960. However, retail job positions saw a steady rise reaching 15 million in 2000. Between 2000 and 2020, number of jobs in this sector plateuaed at 15 million.
Despite both sectors having an equal number of job opportunities initially, employment in agriculture sector saw a decline compared to retail which experienced a steady increase. The number of jobs created in agriculture fell to 7 million in 1990, and kept decreasing but at a relatively slower rate reaching only 2 million in 2020. The healthcare sector had the lowest number of seats in 2000 but had the highest number of jobs along with the retail sector by the end of the period. Healthcare jobs steadily increased throughout the 60 years; by the year 2020 this sector had generated 15 million jobs.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response covers all key features of the graph, including the trends for all four sectors. You successfully identified the initial and final positions and highlighted the main shifts over the 60-year period. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting; for instance, you state that manufacturing was the 'biggest in number at 15 million in 2000', whereas the graph shows it was significantly higher than that in previous decades. Additionally, the claim that healthcare had the lowest number of seats in 2000 is contradicted by the visual data for agriculture. Ensure that you double-check the data points against the graph to avoid factual errors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction and body paragraphs that group information by sector trends. You use cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'However', and 'Despite' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between sentences is smoother; some sentences feel slightly disjointed, and the referencing of data could be more precise to avoid confusion when comparing the four different sectors.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'plateaued', 'steady rise', and 'gradually decreasing'. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language related to economic sectors. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as using 'seats' to refer to job positions, which is not standard in this context. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise collocations related to data trends would enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses starting with 'Although' and 'Despite'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'manufacturing generated the highest employment initially, but the number of jobs saw...' (the 'but' is redundant here) and 'number of jobs in this sector plateuaed' (missing an article). Punctuation is generally sound, and these errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from reaching the higher bands where error-free complex structures are more consistent.
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