Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-20

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 7.5)

The given line chart illustrates the number of jobs available across four sectors—manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare—in the United States between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, healthcare and retail experienced continuous growth in job availability throughout the 60-year period. Conversely, employment in manufacturing initially rose before steadily declining, while agricultural jobs saw an uninterrupted downward trend.

In 1960, healthcare recorded the lowest number of jobs at 2 million, while retail stood at 6 million. Both sectors expanded steadily over the following decades; by 1980, healthcare had rose to 5 million jobs and retail reached 10 million. Growth continued into 2000, with healthcare providing 11 million jobs and retail 15 million. By 2020, both industries peaked at an equal 16 million jobs each.

In contrast, manufacturing started as the dominant sector in 1960 with 15 million jobs—the highest among all industries. Although it peaked at 20 million in 1980, it dropped consistently thereafter, falling to 13 million by 2020. Meanwhile, agricultural jobs stood at 6 million in 1960 and dwindled gradually, reaching a low of just 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the trends and selected key features to illustrate the changes in the four sectors. The comparison between the sectors is well-integrated, particularly when contrasting the growth of healthcare and retail with the decline of manufacturing and agriculture. The data is accurately reported, and the main features are highlighted logically. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with absolute precision, as the overview is already quite strong.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear logical progression. You have used paragraphing effectively to separate the overview from the detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Conversely', 'In contrast', and 'Meanwhile' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the comparisons. The flow of information is smooth, and the referencing between the sectors is clear throughout the text. The structure is coherent, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report, such as 'uninterrupted downward trend', 'dwindled gradually', and 'dominant sector'. The word choice is generally precise and contributes to the professional tone of the writing. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication. To achieve a higher score, you could incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'growth' or 'decline' to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. However, there is a minor error in the third paragraph: 'healthcare had rose to 5 million' should be 'had risen'. Despite this, the control over tense and structure is strong, and the errors do not interfere with the clarity of the information provided. The use of punctuation is also accurate throughout the response.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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