Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14
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 depicts the details of total employment from 1960 to 2020 across four different sectors of the economy in the US.
Overall, manufacturing and Agriculture had seen a significant decline in jobs. Whereas healthcare and retail saw sustainable growth.
To begin with, manufacturing started as the largest employer in 1960 with 15 million jobs that gradually increased to 20 million in 1980. Afterwards, it decreased to approximately 17 million and 14 million in 2000 and 2020, respectively. On the other hand, agricultural jobs were around 6 million in 1960 and shifted downward to 3 million in 1980 and later remained the same until 2000. Also, employments were dropped to roughly 2 million in 2020.
Moreover, Healthcare had a drastic increase in jobs from 2 million in 1960 to 5 million in 1980. Furthermore, healthcare became the most dominant sector in 2020 with roughly 17 million jobs. However, retail rose steadily from 6 million occupations to 17 million from 1960 to 2020, respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An effective overview is provided, highlighting the general decline in manufacturing and agriculture alongside the growth in healthcare and retail. Key data points are selected accurately, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million jobs in 1960 and peaking before dropping, and healthcare eventually matching retail at 17 million. The information is generally well-supported by figures from the chart, fulfilling all requirements of Task 1 effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the report. Information is grouped reasonably well into introduction, overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to contrasting sectors. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover'. However, some minor awkwardness exists in paragraphing and transitional flow, such as starting a paragraph with 'Moreover, Healthcare had a drastic increase', which slightly interrupts the cohesion. Overall, paragraphing is utilised sufficiently and appropriately to structure the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The student uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'employment', 'sector', 'decline', 'growth', and 'dominant'. There are some successful attempts to use less common vocabulary and lexical variations, like 'sustainable growth', 'drastic increase', and 'shifted downward'. However, occasional inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing occur, such as writing 'employments were dropped' instead of 'employment dropped', and 'occupations' used interchangeably with jobs in a slightly unnatural way. These minor lexical errors do not impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms to describe trends over time, such as using relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases ('To begin with, manufacturing started as...'). There are some instances of inaccurate grammar and capitalization errors, such as 'Agriculture' and 'Healthcare' capitalized mid-sentence, and passive voice misuse ('employments were dropped'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors do occur, they are infrequent enough that they rarely impede communication, placing the writing comfortably within the Band 6.0 to 6.5 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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