Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05
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 line graph shows information about changes in the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, manufacturing had the highest number of jobs in 1980, when it reached 20 million. In contrast, agriculture had the lowest figure in 2020. Retail and healthcare experienced significant growth throughout the period, whereas agriculture declined overall.
Looking in detail at manufacturing, there were 15 million jobs in 1960. This figure increased to 20 million in 1980, before decreasing to 17 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020. Retail employment started at 6 million in 1960 and increased steadily to 10 million in 1980 and 15 million in 2000. It then rose slightly to 16 million in 2020.
Agriculture started at 6 million jobs in 1960 and fell to 3 million in 1980. This figure remained stable in 2000 before declining slightly to 2 million in 2020. Healthcare had the lowest figure in 1960, at just 2 million, but its employment increased steadily to 5 million in 1980, 11 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response effectively covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. The selection of key features is accurate, and you have made relevant comparisons between the sectors, such as contrasting the growth of healthcare with the decline of agriculture. The data is presented clearly and supports the summary well. To reach a higher band, ensure that the 'overview' paragraph highlights the most significant long-term trends more explicitly, perhaps by noting the convergence of healthcare and retail at the end of the period, which is a striking feature of the graph.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'whereas', and 'before decreasing to' to link information successfully. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sectors. The flow is natural, and the reader can easily follow the comparison of trends over the sixty-year period. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'experienced significant growth', 'increased steadily', and 'remained stable'. The terminology is precise and appropriate for an academic report. While the vocabulary is accurate and functional, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to demonstrate a wider range of lexical flexibility. However, the current range is more than adequate for the task and conveys the information clearly without error.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as 'This figure increased to 20 million in 1980, before decreasing to 17 million in 2000'. The punctuation is accurate, and there are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free. To move into the higher bands, you could experiment with more complex sentence structures, such as using participle clauses or passive voice to vary the sentence rhythm further.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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