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 employment levels (in millions) across four key economic sectors in the United States - Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare - from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing and agriculture experienced a long-term decline in jobs, while healthcare showed consistent growth. Retail employment rose steadily until around 2000 before plateauing and slightly declining thereafter.

In 1960, manufacturing was the largest employer among the four sectors, with approximately 15 million jobs. It peaked at around 20 million in 1980, after which it declined steadily to roughly 13 million by 2020. In contrast, agriculture started with about 6 million jobs in 1960 and fell sharply to just under 2 million by 2020 - a reduction of over two-thirds.

Healthcare began with the fewest jobs (around 2 million) in 1960 but demonstrated uninterrupted growth, rising to approximately 16 million by 2020 - surpassing manufacturing as the largest sector by the end of the period. Retail employment grew from about 6 million in 1960 to 15 million in 2020, though its trajectory was not linear: it increased steadily until 2000 (reaching ~15 million), then levelled off and dipped slightly to 15.5 million by 2020 - still higher than in 1960 but marginally below its 2000 peak.

Notably, healthcare overtook retail around 2010 and surpassed manufacturing by 2020, reflecting a structural shift toward service- and care-based employment in the US economy over the six decades.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully satisfies the requirements of Task 1 by providing a clear, well-developed overview of the main trends and making accurate comparisons across all four sectors. The introduction correctly identifies the scope of the graph, and the overview highlights the long-term decline in manufacturing and agriculture, the continuous growth in healthcare, and the fluctuating trajectory of retail. Key data points, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and healthcare rising to 16 million by 2020, are accurately cited from the visual data. The student effectively selects and reports significant features without including unnecessary minutiae, culminating in a strong summary that captures the broader structural shifts in the US economy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The report demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is grouped sensibly by sector and trend, making the data easy to follow. Paragraphing is used effectively, with a dedicated introduction, a concise overview paragraph, detailed body paragraphs addressing specific time periods and sectors, and a concluding summary of the broader economic shift. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'though its trajectory was not linear', and 'Notably' are employed flexibly and appropriately to connect ideas and signal shifts in time or contrast between sectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student displays a wide and flexible lexical range suitable for an Academic Task 1 response. Vocabulary choices are precise and natural, incorporating terms such as 'employment levels', 'long-term decline', 'plateauing', 'uninterrupted growth', and 'structural shift'. Less common lexical items are used with good awareness of style and collocation, such as 'reduction of over two-thirds' and 'levelled off and dipped slightly'. There are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors, and communication is completely natural and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

A wide variety of complex structures is used successfully throughout the response. The student demonstrates excellent control over grammar and punctuation, incorporating participial phrases ('surpassing manufacturing as the largest sector'), subordinate clauses ('though its trajectory was not linear'), and parenthetical clarifications. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, and any complex forms attempted are handled with high accuracy. Punctuation is precise, aiding the overall readability of the report.

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