Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

The line graph illustrates changes in the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy—manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare—between 1960 and 2020.

In 1960, manufacturing provided approximately 15 million jobs, considerably more than agriculture and retail, at around 7 million and 6 million respectively. Healthcare employed the fewest people, with only about 2 million jobs. By 1980, manufacturing employment had risen to a peak of 20 million. Retail also increased to 10 million, while healthcare reached 5 million. In contrast, agricultural employment dropped sharply to approximately 3 million.

In 2000, manufacturing still had the highest figure, at around 17 million jobs. Retail followed closely with 15 million, while healthcare more than doubled to about 11 million. By 2020, both retail and healthcare had reached approximately 16 million jobs, becoming the two largest sectors. Meanwhile, manufacturing declined to around 13 million, and agriculture fell further to only 2 million jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and making relevant comparisons across all four sectors between 1960 and 2020. An effective overview is integrated into the response, highlighting the overall rise in retail and healthcare alongside the fluctuating nature of manufacturing and agriculture. Data points are accurately cited from the visual source, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and retail and healthcare reaching 16 million by 2020. The response is fully developed and well-supported with specific figures without unnecessary detail.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced across well-structured paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct time period to guide the reader clearly through the data. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'while' are used naturally and effectively to manage comparisons and time transitions. Referencing is clear throughout, and paragraphing is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, demonstrating skillful control over the text's overall organisation.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student uses a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a data-report task, including less common phrasing such as 'considerably more than', 'dropped sharply', and 'remaining the two largest sectors'. Word choice and collocations are generally precise, with phrases like 'employment had risen to a peak' and 'followed closely with' used accurately. Spelling and word formation are error-free, reflecting a strong lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response features a wide range of complex sentence structures used accurately and flexibly, such as participial phrases and subordinate clauses ('while healthcare more than doubled', 'becoming the two largest sectors'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well throughout. There are only very occasional minor slips, but grammatical control remains strong enough to ensure effortless readability.

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