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 illustrates the changes in employment figures across four economic sectors in the United States Manufacturing, Retail, Healthcare, and Agriculture from 1960 to 2020, measured in millions of jobs.

Overall, Healthcare and Retail experienced consistent upward trajectories throughout the 60-year period, with Healthcare exhibiting the most dramatic rise. Conversely, Manufacturing saw initial growth before experiencing a steady decline, while Agriculture remained the smallest employer with a slight downward drift.

In 1960, Manufacturing was by far the largest provider of the jobes at 15 million, peaking at 20 million in 1980. However, this sector subsequently contracted, dropping to 17 million in 2000 and eventually falling to 13 million by 2020. In contrast, Retail started at 6 million in1960 and climed steadily over the decades, overtaking Manufacturing around 2015 to reached 16 million by the end of the timeframe.

Healthcare begins as the smallest sector in 1960 alongside Agriculture, offering only 2 million jobs in 1960. Over the following six decades, Healthcare witnessed substantial and uninterrupted expension, matching Manufacturing at approximately 14 million jobs in 2015and concluding at 16 million in 2020. Conversely, Agriculture started at 6 million jobs in 1960, dipped sharply to 3 million in 1980, and then slowly diminished to finish at just under 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The overview effectively captures the overall trajectories, noting the consistent upward trends in Healthcare and Retail alongside the decline in Manufacturing and Agriculture. Key data points, such as Manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and Healthcare rising to 16 million by 2020, are accurately cited and used to support comparisons. There are no significant omissions, and the information is fully relevant to the prompt, demonstrating a clear understanding of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically sequenced and easy to follow. Information is well-organized into a logical structure, beginning with a clear introduction and overview paragraph, followed by detailed body paragraphs that group the sectors logically. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Conversely', 'However', and 'In contrast' are managed effectively to guide the reader through comparisons and transitions. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in presenting the data. Referencing and substitution are clear throughout the text, maintaining a smooth flow of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary suited to describing trends and economic data, using items such as 'upward trajectories', 'contracted', 'uninterrupted expansion', and 'diminished'. Word choice is generally precise and natural. However, there are a few minor mechanical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'jobes' instead of 'jobs', 'climed' instead of 'climbed', and 'expension' instead of 'expansion'. Despite these occasional flaws, the lexical resource is strong and allows for sophisticated reporting of trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writing exhibits a good variety of complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'with Healthcare exhibiting the most dramatic rise' and 'while Agriculture remained the smallest employer'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and control over grammar and punctuation is generally strong. There are a few tense inconsistencies, such as switching to the present tense ('Healthcare begins' and 'Healthcare witnessed'), and minor punctuation or spacing errors (e.g., '2015and' and 'in1960'). These errors do not impede communication and represent occasional slips.

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