Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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 graphical representations depicts the data about the count of occupations in economy's for distinct sectors in the US from 1960 to 2020.

From the first glimpse of the graph, it is abundantly clear that In 1960, manufacturing employed about 15 million people, making it the biggest sector. This figure increased to 20 million in 1980 before falling gradually to around 17 million in 2000 and 13 million by 2020. Retail also showed continuous growth throughout the period, rising from approximately 5 million jobs in 1960 to 10 million in 1980, 15 million in 2000 and finally 17 million in 2020, becoming the largest employer at the end of the period.

Moving further, Healthcare started with only around 2 million jobs in 1960 but increased steadily over the following decades. Employment reached about 5 million in 1980, 11 million in 2000 and 16 million by 2020. By contrast, agriculture experienced a slight decline overall. It fell from roughly 5 million jobs in 1960 to 3 million in 1980, remained stable at around 3 million in 2000, and dropped slightly further to approximately 2 million in 2020.

Overall, manufacturing was the largest employer for most of the period despite declining after 1980. In contrast, retail and healthcare experienced steady growth, while agriculture remained the smallest sector and showed a slight downward trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all four sectors and made relevant comparisons, such as noting that retail became the largest employer by the end of the period. The data points are accurate and well-selected to support your descriptions. To reach a higher band, ensure your overview is even more distinct; while you included a summary paragraph at the end, integrating a more comprehensive 'big picture' statement in the introduction or immediately following it would strengthen the response. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a clear focus on the key features of the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and a final summary. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the data, which makes the information easy to follow. You use cohesive devices like 'Moving further', 'By contrast', and 'Overall' effectively to guide the reader. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of ideas is smooth. To improve further, try to vary your cohesive devices slightly more to avoid a mechanical feel, but your current use is already quite effective for a clear and coherent report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'continuous growth', 'remained stable', and 'downward trend' are used accurately. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'graphical representations depicts' (should be 'representation depicts' or 'representations depict') and 'economy's for distinct sectors' (should be 'economic sectors'). While these errors do not impede communication, addressing these small slips and incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations would help elevate your score. Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for precise reporting of the trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, which allows for easy reading. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as the subject-verb agreement error in the first sentence ('representations depicts') and the unnecessary capitalization of 'In' after a comma. Despite these, your control over grammar is generally good, and you handle the reporting of numerical data and time periods with confidence. To reach a higher band, focus on eliminating these small slips and perhaps experiment with more varied complex sentence structures to demonstrate greater flexibility.

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