Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

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 graph illustrates the number of jobs across four different sectors in the US economy from 1960 to 2020. Overall, there are significant changes in the various sectors over the period, showing an equal substantial growth of retail and the healthcare sector, and the drastic downfall of agricultural jobs.

In 1960, manufacturing factories had the highest number of workers accounting for 15 million in total, and reached the peak of 20 million by the following year, before it declined steadily with the figure of about 12 million at the end of the period.

During the same year, retail stores and the healthcare field followed a relatively similar pattern, and witnessed a significant increase, which both accumulated roughly 16 million by 2020 starting from around 6 million and 2 million, respectively. In contrast, the agricultural domain experienced a dramatic reduction of skilled workers falling from about 6 million to around 2 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors. The overview correctly highlights the substantial growth in retail and healthcare alongside the decline in agriculture and manufacturing. Key data points are accurately reported, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960 and peaking, and the convergence of retail and healthcare at 16 million by 2020. Minor inaccuracies in dates or numbers, such as stating manufacturing peaked 'by the following year' rather than 1980, do not detract from the overall clear reporting of trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Information is divided into a suitable introduction with an overview, followed by well-structured body paragraphs grouping related trends. Cohesive devices are used effectively to connect ideas, such as 'In 1960', 'During the same year', and 'In contrast'. Paragraphing is appropriate, and referencing is generally clear throughout the text, enabling the reader to follow the flow of information without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. Phrases like 'significant changes', 'drastic downfall', and 'relative similar pattern' show a good attempt at lexical variety. Less common vocabulary items are used with some awareness of collocation, such as 'agricultural domain' and 'skilled workers' (though the chart simply shows jobs in agriculture). Occasional minor vocabulary choices are slightly imprecise, but meaning is never obscured.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

A good mix of simple and complex sentence structures is employed throughout the response, such as 'while the drastic downfall of agricultural jobs' and relative clauses. There is generally good control of grammar and punctuation. While there are a few minor slips—such as 'accounting for 15 million in total, and reached the peak' where verb forms lack parallelism—these errors do not impede communication and the majority of sentences remain accurate.

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