Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07

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 illustrates changes in the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, employment in retail and healthcare increased throughout the period, whereas agriculture declined. Manufacturing initially grew before falling after 1980. By 2020, retail and healthcare had the highest employment figures overall.

In 1960, manufacturing employed 15 million people, compared with 6 million in retail. Manufacturing peaked at 20 million in 1980 before declining to 17 million in 2000 and approximately 13 million in 2020. In contrast, retail employment rose steadily from 6 million to 10 million, then reached 15 million in 2000 and 16 million by 2020.

Healthcare also experienced strong growth, rising from 2 million jobs in 1960 to 5 million in 1980, 11 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020. Meanwhile, agriculture fell from 6 million to 3 million, remained stable, and finally reached 2 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

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 sectors is well-integrated, and the data points are accurate based on the provided graph. You successfully highlighted the peak in manufacturing and the significant growth in healthcare and retail. The information is well-selected and logically presented, meeting the requirements for a Band 8 response by covering all parts of the task well with clear, relevant data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs that group the information effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', and 'meanwhile' are used appropriately to link ideas and contrast trends. The progression of information is smooth, moving from general trends to specific data points. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring that the reader can follow the development of the argument without difficulty. The structure is clear and supports the overall purpose of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends accurately, such as 'illustrates', 'declined', 'peaked', and 'remained stable'. The language is precise and appropriate for an academic report. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it lacks some of the more sophisticated or 'less common' lexical items that would elevate the response to a Band 8 or 9 level. However, there are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the range is more than adequate for the task requirements.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as 'Manufacturing initially grew before falling after 1980' and 'In 1960, manufacturing employed 15 million people, compared with 6 million in retail.' The punctuation is accurate, and the majority of sentences are error-free. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as passive voice or more varied subordinate clauses.

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

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