Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-25
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 employees in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, the number of retail and healthcare workers increased, albeit at varying rates, while the reverse was true for manufacturing and agriculture. However, the number of manufacturing workers stood out among the other categories with consistently higher figures.
Focusing on the increases first, the number of retail jobs started at about 6 million in 1960. Over the six decades, it experienced a significant increase from 6 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020. Similarly, the number of healthcare jobs grew dramatically from 2 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020.
By contrast, the number of manufacturing and agriculture jobs decreased over the period. The number of manufacturing jobs increased steadily from 15 million in 1960 to 20 million in 1980, but this was followed by a significant decrease to 13 million in the final year. The number of agriculture jobs declined gradually from 5 million in 1960 to about 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 an accurate summary of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The overview clearly highlights the overall upward trends in retail and healthcare versus the downward trends in manufacturing and agriculture, while also noting manufacturing's higher starting position. Key features are selected and reported effectively, such as the dramatic growth in healthcare jobs from 2 million to 16 million and the peak in manufacturing in 1980 followed by a decline. The figures cited generally match the visual data accurately, and comparisons are made effectively where relevant. This meets the criteria for a strong Band 7.5 or 8.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an appropriate introductory sentence, moves into a well-crafted overview paragraph, and then logically splits the body details into increasing sectors and decreasing sectors. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Focusing on the increases first', 'Similarly', and 'By contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different analytical angles. The logical sequencing and clear referencing result in a strong performance under this criterion.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.5
The student demonstrates a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for this task, utilizing functional reporting language such as 'illustrates', 'experienced a significant increase', 'grew dramatically', and 'declined gradually'. Collocations and word choices are generally natural and precise (e.g., 'varying rates', 'consistently higher figures'). There are very few lexical errors, allowing the information to be conveyed smoothly. While it stops just short of the wide, flexible range of uncommon lexical items required for Band 8, it easily satisfies the requirements for Band 7.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5
The student exhibits good control over grammar and punctuation. There is a healthy variety of complex sentence structures, such as concessive clauses ('albeit at varying rates') and subordinate time clauses. The majority of sentences are error-free, and minor slips are virtually absent. Punctuation is accurate throughout, and subjects and verbs agree correctly across complex constructions. This level of syntactic flexibility and high accuracy warrants a solid band score in this category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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