Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The line graph illustrates how many jobs there wee in four sectors of the US economy (Manufacturing, retail, agriculture and health care) at twenty yea intervals between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, manufacturing and agriculture lost ground over the period, whereas retail and healthcare expanded considerably. Healthcare showed the most dramatic growth and by 2020 had drawn level with retail as the largest sector.

Manufacturing began as the biggest employe with 15 million jobs, and peaked at 20 million in 1980. After that, it declined

ed steadily to 17 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020, which was below 1960 figure. Agriculture followed a different pattern. It started at 6 million, fell to 3 million by 1980 and stayed at that level until 2000 before dipping slightly to 2 million, making it the smallest sector by the end of the period.

By contrast, retail rose consistently from 6 million jobs in 1960 to 10 million in 1980 and 15 million in 2000, before levelling off at 16 million in 2020.

Healthcare started from a very low base of only 2 million, but it reached 5 million in 1980 and then surged to 11 million in 2000.

It finished at 16 million in 2020, equalling retail and both sectors had by then overt-aken manufacturing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all four sectors and reports the main features and trends across the period from 1960 to 2020. An effective overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the overall decline in manufacturing and agriculture alongside the significant expansion in retail and healthcare. Key data points are accurately cited, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and healthcare surging to reach 16 million by 2020, matching the visual data closely. The comparisons made between sectors, such as healthcare and retail drawing level by the end of the period, are clear and relevant. Minor typing slips like 'wee' or 'yea' do not detract from the clear reporting of data, earning this a solid band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

Information and ideas are logically sequenced throughout the response. The report begins with a clear introduction and overview, followed by well-structured body paragraphs that deal with the declining sectors and the growing sectors respectively. Cohesive devices are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'After that', and 'By contrast'. Paragraphing is used effectively with each major trend grouped logically. Although referencing is mostly clear, a slight awkwardness in the final sentence regarding 'both sectors had by then overt-aken manufacturing' shows minor mechanical cohesion issues, but overall the logical progression is well managed.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to academic task 1 reporting. Phrases like 'lost ground', 'expanded considerably', 'most dramatic growth', 'drawn level', and 'levelling off' show good control of collocation and style. Less common vocabulary items are used with general awareness, though there are a few minor typographical errors ('wee' instead of were, 'yea' instead of year, and 'employe' instead of employee) as well as a hyphenation slip ('overt-aken'). However, these vocabulary and spelling errors do not impede communication, and the overall lexical adequacy aligns well with a band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response makes use of a good variety of complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses ('The line graph illustrates how many jobs there wee...', '...which was below 1960 figure') and temporal markers. The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical control is generally strong. There are minor slips, such as the omitted article in 'below 1960 figure' and the split word formatting with 'ed steadily' on a separate line due to text wrapping artifacts, but these are minor and do not obscure meaning. Punctuation is generally accurate, supporting a strong band 7.5 performance.

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