Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

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 jobs 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 climbed steadily over the decades, overtaking Manufacturing around 2015 to reach 16 million by the end of the timeframe.

Healthcare began 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 expansion, matching Manufacturing at approximately 14 million jobs in 2015 and 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 has successfully addressed all parts of the task by providing a clear and comprehensive overview of the employment figures across the four economic sectors in the US from 1960 to 2020. The main features, such as the dramatic rise in Healthcare and the consistent decline in Manufacturing, are well selected and reported. Appropriate comparisons are made throughout the response, such as noting how Retail overtook Manufacturing and contrasting Healthcare's growth with Agriculture's steady decrease. The data points cited, including specific job numbers like the 15 million in Manufacturing in 1960 and the peak at 20 million in 1980, are accurate and effectively support the overview and body paragraphs. The response meets all the requirements for a high band in Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The writing demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression from introduction to overview, followed by well-sequenced body paragraphs detailing the specific data. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function. Cohesive devices are handled well, employing transition signals like 'Overall', 'Conversely', 'In 1960', 'However', and 'In contrast' naturally to guide the reader through the data. Referencing throughout the text is clear and precise, ensuring that relationships between the economic sectors and their numerical changes are easy to follow without any disruptive or mechanical phrasing.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student employs a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task. Less common lexical items are used skilfully, including words and phrases like 'upward trajectories', 'dramatic rise', 'contracted', 'uninterrupted expansion', and 'diminished'. Word choice and collocations are generally precise, although there are minor instances of repetition, such as the repeated use of 'offering only 2 million jobs in 1960' overlapping slightly with the previous sentence's phrasing regarding the start year. Nevertheless, the lexical control is strong, allowing for accurate and sophisticated reporting of numerical data without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response features a wide range of complex structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, showcasing complex clause structures such as 'While Healthcare and Retail experienced consistent upward trajectories throughout the 60-year period, with Healthcare exhibiting the most dramatic rise' and participial phrases like 'overtaking Manufacturing around 2015 to reach 16 million'. Punctuation and grammatical control are maintained consistently throughout the text, with only very occasional minor mechanical slips, such as a missing space in 'in1960', which does not detract from the overall high quality of the grammar.

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