Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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 8.0)

The line graph illustrates the number of jobs, in millions, in four sectors of the US economy—manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare—between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, manufacturing had the highest number of jobs for most of the period, although it declined considerably after 1980. In contrast, employment in retail and healthcare increased substantially. Agriculture experienced an overall decline.

In 1960, manufacturing employed approximately 15 million people, compared with about 6 million in retail and agriculture. Healthcare had the fewest jobs, at only 2 million. By 1980, manufacturing employment had risen to a peak of 20 million, while retail increased to 10 million. Meanwhile, agriculture fell to around 3 million, whereas healthcare grew to 5 million.

From 1980 onwards, manufacturing employment declined steadily, reaching about 17 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020. Retail, however, continued to grow, reaching 15 million in 2000 and approximately 16 million by 2020. Healthcare showed an even sharper increase, rising from 5 million in 1980 to 11 million in 2000, before reaching around 16 million in 2020. Agriculture remained relatively stable at about 3 million until 2000, then declined to approximately 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a fully developed overview and reporting the main features of the four sectors across the sixty-year timeframe. The data cited is accurate and closely reflects the visual information provided. Key trends, such as the peak and subsequent decline in manufacturing, the steady rise in healthcare and retail, and the minor role of agriculture, are highlighted effectively. Comparisons between sectors are made naturally and are relevant throughout the text, earning a strong performance for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced, guiding the reader smoothly from an overall summary into specific chronological details. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the introduction, the general overview, the starting and peak points, and the later trends. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'meanwhile', and 'from 1980 onwards' are managed well to establish clear progression and temporal relationships without being obtrusive or repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary suited to describing economic data and trends, such as 'considerable', 'substantially', 'peak', 'steady', and 'relatively stable'. Word choice and collocation are generally accurate, and less common lexical items are used with a good awareness of academic style. There are only occasional minor slips that do not impede communication, showing strong control over vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

A wide variety of complex structures is used successfully throughout the response, including participial clauses and comparative structures like 'compared with about 6 million in retail and agriculture'. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, with excellent control over verb tenses, prepositions, and punctuation. The grammatical range supports the clear and precise delivery of data points.

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