Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22
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 graph illustrates the number of jobs, measured in millions, in four sectors of US economy- manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, manufacturing employed the largest number of people at the beginning of the period, but its figure declined considerably after reaching its peak in 1980. In contrast, healthcare experienced substantial and continuous growth and became the largest employer by 2020. Retail also grew steadily, whereas agricultural employment generally decreased.
In 1960, manufacturing accounted for approximately 15 million jobs, making it the largest sector shown. This figure then rose significantly to 20 million in 1980, before falling to around 17 million in 2000 and approximately 13 million by 2020. Retail, meanwhile, increased steadily from about 6 million jobs in 1960 to 10 million in 1980 and 15 million in 2000. By 2020, it had climbed slightly further to roughly 16 million, overtaking manufacturing.
The most notable growth occurred in healthcare. Starting at only 2 million jobs in 1960, employment in this sector more than doubled to approximately 5 million in 1980. It then rose sharply to 11 million in 2000 and reached about 16 million by 2020, making healthcare one of the two largest employment sectors at the end of the period.
By contrast, agriculture followed a downward trend. Employment stood around 6 million in 1960, but fell sharply to approximately 3 million in 1980. It remained at about this level until 2000 before declining further to roughly 2 million in 2020. Thus, agriculture experienced the most substantial overall reduction in employment among the four sectors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.0 |
| Overall | 8.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The overview effectively captures the primary trends, such as manufacturing's peak and subsequent decline, healthcare's continuous growth to become the largest employer, and the trajectories of retail and agriculture. Data points, such as the initial and final figures, are accurately reported from the graph without any major omissions or misinterpretations. Ideas are well developed and supported with relevant figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The response is exceptionally well organized, with a clear logical progression from the introductory paragraph to the overview, followed by well-structured body paragraphs detailing specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader through comparisons and contrasts, such as 'In contrast', 'meanwhile', and 'By contrast'. Paragraphing is used logically and appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on specific groups of data.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
The student demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task 1 response. Less common items and collocation phrases are used skillfully, such as 'accounted for', 'rose significantly', 'continuous growth', and 'downward trend'. Word choice and collocations are accurate throughout, and spelling is flawless. The vocabulary enables precise reporting of trends and data points.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0
The response exhibits a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of accuracy. Sentences are structurally varied, incorporating participial clauses, time clauses, and comparative structures seamlessly (e.g., 'Employment stood around 6 million in 1960, but fell sharply to approximately 3 million in 1980.'). The majority of sentences are completely error-free, with only rare, negligible slips, and punctuation is managed with strong control.
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