Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24
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 the number of jobs in four different sectors of the economy in the United States between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, employment in Retail and Healthcare increased considerably over the period, whereas the figures for Manufacturing and Agriculture declined overall.
The number of jobs in Healthcare rose steadily from 2 million in 1960 to 5 million in 1980, before increasing further to 11 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020. Similarly, employment in Retail grew consistently from 6 million in 1960 to 10 million in 1980 and 15 million in 2000, eventually reaching 16 million in 2020.
In contrast, Manufacturing stood at 15 million jobs in 1960 and climbed sharply to a peak of 20 million in 1980. It then declined steadily, falling to 17 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020. Meanwhile, employment in Agriculture decreased from 6 million in 1960 to 3 million in 1980, remained unchanged in 2000, and then fell slightly to 2 million in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5
The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and effectively reporting the main features and trends for all four sectors. Data points are accurately extracted from the chart, such as noting that employment in Healthcare rose from 2 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020, and that Manufacturing peaked at 20 million in 1980 before declining. Comparisons are made appropriately throughout the response, distinguishing between rising sectors like Retail and Healthcare and declining sectors like Manufacturing and Agriculture. The information is well-selected and supported with precise figures without unnecessary clutter, satisfying all the requirements of a Band 8 performance for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with a well-formulated introduction, followed by a concise overview paragraph that highlights the main trends, and then moves into detailed body paragraphs grouped logically by sector trends (growth vs. decline). Paragraphing is used appropriately and effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'before increasing further', 'In contrast', and 'Meanwhile' are managed well to connect ideas and maintain smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs without being overly mechanical or intrusive.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.5
The student demonstrates a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for this task type. Less common lexical items and functional phrases related to data trends are used effectively, such as 'increased considerably', 'rose steadily', 'climbed sharply', 'peak', and 'remained unchanged'. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate and natural, enabling the message to be conveyed with precision. While it stops just short of the wide, flexible range characteristic of a Band 8, the vocabulary used easily meets the descriptors for Band 7, showing good awareness of style and collocation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5
The response exhibits a good variety of complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'before increasing further to 11 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020' and 'Manufacturing stood at 15 million jobs in 1960 and climbed sharply to a peak of 20 million in 1980'). The majority of sentences are completely error-free, demonstrating a high level of grammatical control and punctuation accuracy. The minor errors that might distinguish a Band 8 are absent here, making this a very clean piece of writing that fits comfortably into the Band 8 criteria.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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