Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01

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 7.5)

The line graph shows how many millions of jobs were available in four different US economic sectors between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, employment in healthcare and retail increased over the 60-year period, while jobs in manufacturing and agriculture decreased. By 2020, retail and healthcare provided the highest number of jobs, overtaking manufacturing.

In 1960, retail had about 6 million jobs, and healthcare had only around 2 million. Both sectors grew steadily over the next few decades. Retail jobs reached about 15 million by 2000 and slightly increased to around 16 million by 2020. Healthcare experienced the fastest overall growth, surging from roughly 5 million in 1980 to match retail at about 16 million jobs in 2020.

Manufacturing was the largest sector in 1960 with 15 million jobs. It grew to a peak of 20 million in 1980 before steadily declining to approximately 13 million by the end of the period. Agriculture started at the same level as retail with 6 million jobs in 1960 but dropped to 3 million by 1980. It remained mostly flat until 2000 and then fell slightly to around 2 million jobs in 2020, making it the sector with the lowest employment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively covers all parts of the task. You have identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the shifts in employment across the four sectors. The data is accurately reported, and you have made relevant comparisons, such as noting that healthcare and retail overtook manufacturing by 2020. The selection of key features is logical, and the information is well-supported by the provided figures. The response is balanced and addresses the prompt comprehensively, meeting all requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information by sector trends. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'while', 'By 2020', and 'In 1960' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the trends of the growing sectors from those of the declining ones. The flow of information is smooth, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends accurately, including terms like 'surging', 'steadily declining', 'overtaking', and 'remained mostly flat'. The word choice is precise and appropriate for an academic report. There are no noticeable errors in spelling or collocation, and the vocabulary is used with enough flexibility to convey the data clearly and naturally. The range is adequate to meet the requirements for a high band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a good variety of sentence structures, including complex sentences that combine information effectively. Grammar and punctuation are handled with a high degree of accuracy, and there are no errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and you show good control over tense usage when discussing past trends and the final state in 2020. The writing is clear, professional, and grammatically sound.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.