Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28

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 following line graph illustrates changes in employment across four US economic sectors. Manufacturing , Retail , Healthcare and Agriculture from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the service-oriented sectors (Retail and Healthcare) experienced consistent growth over the 60-year period, while traditional production industries (Manufacturing and Agriculture) faced long-term declines.

Manufacturing & Retail: In 1960, Manufacturing was the dominant sector, employing 15 million workers. It peaked at 20 million in 1980 before steadily declining to 13 million by 2020. Conversely, Retail grew continuously from 6 million jobs in 1960 to around 16 million in 2020, eventually surpassing Manufacturing.

Healthcare & Agriculture: Healthcare sector had the most dramatic increase, starting at the lowest position with just 2 million jobs in 1960 and surging to match Retail at 16 million in 2020. In contrast, Agriculture gradually shrank, dropping from 6 million jobs in 1960 to 3 million in 1980, and continuing to go downward to approximately 2 million by 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The student provides a clear overview that contrasts the growth of service-oriented sectors (Retail and Healthcare) with the decline of traditional industries (Manufacturing and Agriculture). The figures cited, such as Manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960 and peaking at 20 million in 1980, are accurate and closely aligned with the visual data. The progression and key turning points are well-highlighted throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Information and ideas are logically sequenced with a clear overall progression. The response is well-structured, starting with an introductory sentence and overview, followed by two well-organized body paragraphs that group related sectors together ('Manufacturing & Retail' and 'Healthcare & Agriculture'). Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Conversely', and 'In contrast' are used effectively and appropriately without being obtrusive. Paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the report.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The vocabulary used is varied and appropriate for an academic report. The student demonstrates a good command of less common lexical items, such as 'service-oriented sectors', 'dominant sector', 'surging', and 'gradually shrank'. Word choice and collocations are generally natural and precise, as seen in phrases like 'long-term declines' and 'dramatic increase'. There are no noticeable spelling or lexical errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response features a wide variety of complex grammatical structures, such as participial phrases ('employing 15 million workers', 'starting at the lowest position') and subordinate clauses. The majority of sentences are completely error-free. Punctuation and control of tense are handled with high accuracy throughout the description of historical data. The minor issue with punctuation separation in the introduction does not detract from the overall high level of grammatical control.

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