Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · 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 8.0)

The line chart illustrates job availability across four economic sectors—manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare—in the United States from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, healthcare and retail experienced continuous growth in job availability throughout the 60-year period, with both sectors eventually tiring for the highest number of jobs. Conversely, manufacturing underwent a rise followed by a prolonged decline, while agricultural employment fell continuously over the given timeline.

In 1960, manufacturing was the dominant sector, offering 15 million jobs. This figure peaked at 20 million in 1980 before steadily declining to 13 million by 2020. Conversely, the agricultural sector recorded 6 million jobs in 1960, which shrank continuously over six decades to reach a low of just 2 million in 2020.

Healthcare initially registered the lowest job count in 1960 at 2 million, while retail started at 6 million. Both industries grew steadily in tandem: by 1980, healthcare had expanded to 5 million jobs and retail to 10 million. Growth persisted over the next twenty years, reaching 11 million in healthcare and 15 million in retail by 2000. By 2020, both sectors reached a peak of 16 million jobs each, surpassing manufacturing to become the primary job providers in the nation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of the line chart and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors. An effective overview is provided, highlighting the general trends such as the continuous growth in healthcare and retail versus the decline in manufacturing and agriculture. Key data points, such as the peak of 20 million jobs in manufacturing in 1980 and the convergence of healthcare and retail at 16 million jobs in 2020, are accurately cited and well-integrated to support the summary. The progression of data is clear, fulfilling the Band 8 descriptor for covering all parts of the task well with fully developed key features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response demonstrates a clear and logical progression of ideas throughout. Information is organized into a coherent structure, with a distinct introductory paragraph, a general overview, and two well-developed body paragraphs that group data logically (traditional industries versus growing service sectors). Cohesive devices such as 'Conversely' and 'In 1960' are used effectively without being intrusive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different economic sectors and time periods, allowing the reader to follow the argument effortlessly. This easily satisfies the criteria for Band 8.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

The student exhibits a wide and flexible lexical resource suitable for an academic task. Terms such as 'continuous growth,' 'prolonged decline,' 'dominant sector,' and 'primary job providers' demonstrate a strong command of vocabulary related to data trends. There is only a single minor lexical slip ('tiring' instead of 'tying' or 'reaching parity' in the second paragraph), which is an occasional inaccuracy rather than a systematic flaw. Less common vocabulary is used naturally and with a good awareness of collocation, easily placing this response in the Band 8 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response features a wide range of complex sentence structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, featuring well-controlled subordinate clauses, participial phrases ('offering 15 million jobs'), and comparative constructions. Punctuation is accurate, and grammatical control is consistently maintained throughout the text. The few minor errors (such as the typo 'tiring' already noted under lexical resource) do not impede communication and represent occasional slips rather than recurrent weaknesses. The grammar effortlessly supports a Band 8 score.

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.