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, measured in millions, in four sectors of the US economy—manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare—from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing had the highest number of jobs for most of the period, although employment in this sector declined after 1980. In contrast, healthcare and retail experienced substantial growth, while agriculture showed an overall downward trend. By 2020, healthcare and retail had become the two largest sectors in terms of employment.

In 1960, manufacturing employed approximately 15 million people, compared with around 6 million in retail and 6 million in agriculture. Healthcare had the fewest jobs, at only about 2 million. Manufacturing employment then rose significantly, reaching a peak of 20 million in 1980, before falling to around 17 million in 2000 and approximately 13 million by 2020.

Retail, meanwhile, followed a consistent upward trajectory, increasing from about 6 million jobs in 1960 to 10 million in 1980, before rising further to approximately 15 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020. Healthcare experienced the most dramatic growth, increasing steadily from 2 million jobs in 1960 to 5 million in 1980, then reaching 11 million in 2000 and around 16 million in 2020. By contrast, agriculture declined from approximately 6 million jobs in 1960 to 3 million in 1980, remained stable at this level until 2000, and then fell further to about 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.5

The response covers all parts of the task extremely well, presenting a fully developed and well-supported overview and detailed body paragraphs. The candidate skilfully selects the main features of the chart, noting that manufacturing started the highest before declining, while healthcare and retail experienced substantial growth and agriculture dropped steadily. Every figure cited—such as manufacturing reaching a peak of 20 million in 1980 or healthcare starting at 2 million—is accurate and precisely matched to the visual data. The overview is clear and synthesises the overarching trends effectively without getting bogged down in unnecessary minutiae, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the prompt requirements and positioning the response comfortably at the top tier of performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced from a general overview down to specific sector details, ensuring a smooth and natural progression throughout the response. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with a dedicated introductory paragraph, a clear overall overview, and well-organised body paragraphs that group information logically. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'meanwhile', and 'by contrast' are managed very well to guide the reader through the comparisons without being intrusive or mechanical. Reference pronouns and substitution are handled smoothly, maintaining clear continuity across sentences and ensuring that all relationships between the economic sectors are transparently established.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The candidate demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible vocabulary range, making skilful use of less common items such as 'substantive growth', 'consistent upward trajectory', and 'dramatic growth'. Word choice and collocation are handled with a high degree of precision, as seen in expressions like 'employment in this sector declined' and 'overall downward trend'. There are only occasional minor inaccuracies, and the lexical control is sophisticated enough to allow for precise reporting of numerical data and trends. Spelling and word forms are entirely accurate throughout the text, contributing to a polished and professional academic tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The response features a wide range of complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and subordinate clauses, used with a high level of flexibility. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, showcasing excellent control over verb tenses, past simple references, prepositions, and article usage. For instance, complex constructions like 'reaching a peak of 20 million in 1980, before falling to around 17 million' are executed flawlessly. Punctuation is accurate and supports the logical flow of information. There are no noticeable grammatical errors or awkward phrasing that might impede communication, reflecting a very high command of English grammar.

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