Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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 given line chart illustrates the number of jobs in different sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020. The figures are measured in millions.

Overall, employment in manufacturing and agriculture declined over the period, whereas the figures for retail and healthcare increased considerably. Manufacturing had the highest number of jobs at the beginning, while retail and healthcare experienced significant growth by the end of the period.

In 1960, manufacturing had the largest number of jobs, at 15 million. This figure then increased to 20 million in 1980 before declining gradually to 17 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020. A similar downward trend can be seen in agriculture. It started at 6 million jobs in 1960 and fell to 4 million in 1980. The figure remained stable until 2000, before dropping further to just 2 million at the end of the period.

In contrast, employment in retail and healthcare increased throughout the period. Retail started at 6 million jobs in 1960 and rose sharply to 10 million in 1980 and 15 million in 2000. It then increased slightly to 16 million in 2020, overtaking manufacturing. Similarly, healthcare increased from 3 million jobs in 1960 to 5 million in 1980. It then grew considerably to 12 million in 2000 and reached 16 million in 2020, the same figure as retail.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear summary of the main trends and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors. The overview accurately identifies that manufacturing and agriculture experienced a decline, whereas retail and healthcare grew significantly. Key data points, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960 and peaking at 20 million, are accurately reported. The response covers the period well with no major omissions, demonstrating a solid understanding of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The response is logically sequenced and easy to follow. Information is well organized into appropriate paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs comparing contrasting trends. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1960', 'This figure then', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring a clear progression of ideas throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for a Task 1 response, incorporating terms like 'considerably', 'gradually', 'downward trend', 'rose sharply', and 'overtaking'. Word choice is generally precise and natural (e.g., 'employment in retail and healthcare increased throughout the period'). There are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors, demonstrating a good control of lexical items relevant to describing graphical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'The given line chart illustrates...' and 'whereas the figures for retail and healthcare increased considerably.' The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical control is strong when dealing with past tenses and comparative structures. Punctuation is accurate, and minor slips are absent, reflecting a high level of grammatical accuracy.

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