Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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 changes in the number of jobs across four sectors of the economy in the US, namely manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare, over the period from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is evident that the figures followed varying trends over the given period, with some job sectors increasing, while others declined or remained steady. Manufacturing recorded the highest figure, whereas agriculture had the lowest figure. However, manufacturing decreased, while healthcare increased significantly over the period.

Looking at the details, manufacturing stood at 15 million jobs in 1960 and peaked at 20 million, but it fell dramatically to approximately 13 million by the end of the period. Moreover, retail started at roughly 6 million jobs and rose sharply to nearly 15.5 million in 2020.

Agriculture stood at almost 6 million jobs in 1960 and fell to approximately 2 million in 1980, and then remained relatively steady until the end of the period. Furthermore, healthcare started at 2 million jobs in 1960 and rose dramatically to roughly 16 million jobs in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting key trends and figures across the four economic sectors. The introduction successfully paraphrases the prompt, and the overview captures the main contrasts, noting that manufacturing started highest while agriculture was lowest, and pointing out the divergent trajectories of manufacturing and healthcare. In the body paragraphs, the student reports key data points accurately, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million and retail rising to 16 million. However, there is a minor misreading in the agriculture section where it states agriculture fell to 2 million in 1980 (it dropped to 3 million). Overall, the response is well-supported with relevant data and meets all requirements for a solid performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organised with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introduction, followed by an overarching summary paragraph, and then divides the details into logical groupings across two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the data, as seen with transitional phrases like 'Looking at the details,' 'Moreover,' and 'Furthermore.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate general trends from specific data points, ensuring the text flows smoothly and remains easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'illustrates,' 'fluctuating trends,' 'peaked,' 'rose dramatically,' and 'remained relatively steady.' There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary and precise reporting verbs and adverbs, such as 'dramatically' and 'roughly.' Word choice is generally accurate, though minor imprecisions occur, such as stating 'agriculture had the lowest figure' when agriculture and healthcare both started around 2 million in 1960. Nonetheless, the vocabulary effectively conveys the intended meaning without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and participle phrases smoothly (e.g., 'namely manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare, over the period...'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and control of grammar and punctuation is strong throughout. Minor errors do occur, such as the tense usage in 'Agriculture stood at almost 6 million jobs in 1960 and fell to approximately 2 million in 1980, and then remained relatively steady,' where the comma placement and linking could be tighter, but these errors do not impede communication in any way.

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