Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 demonstrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020. Manufacturing jobs were the highest in 1960, but retail and healthcare jobs increased significantly throughout the period and became the top job sectors by 2020.

In 1960, manufacturing jobs were at 15 million and increased untill 1980 to reach its peak at 20 million. It started to decline afterwards, and ended the period at approximately 13 million. However, retail jobs started at 6 million in 1960. It kept increasing massively untill 2000 to hit the peak at 15 million, but only managed to reach 16 million in 2020.

Agriculture jobs were at the same point as retail jobs in 1960, but it declined throughout time and ended the period at 2 million. In contrast, healthcare jobs started at the lowest among 4 sectors at 2 million, but it grow untill 2020 and became joint top sector at 16 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons across the four sectors between 1960 and 2020. An effective overview is provided in the introduction, capturing the overarching shifts successfully. Key data points, such as the peak for manufacturing at 20 million and the final figures for retail and healthcare at 16 million, are accurately cited. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, sitting at 143 words (excluding the rubric). This slight under-length prevents the response from achieving a higher band, as certain trends could have been extended with further supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped sensibly, with an introductory paragraph containing the overview, followed by well-structured body paragraphs that break down the data effectively. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to link ideas, such as 'However', 'In contrast', and 'afterwards'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overall summary from the detailed body points, ensuring that the relationships between the data points remain clear and easy to follow. To reach a higher band, referencing and transitions between sentences could be managed with even greater flexibility and flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to economic sectors and data trends, such as 'sectors of the economy', 'significantly', 'decline', and 'peak'. There are occasional spelling and word-choice errors, notably 'untill' instead of 'until' and 'grow' instead of 'grew' in the final paragraph. While the writer attempts less common vocabulary, these minor slips restrict the score. To improve further, the student should aim to incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated synonyms and less common lexical items with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring relative clauses and comparative forms such as 'manufacturing jobs were the highest in 1960, but retail and healthcare jobs increased significantly'. There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('agriculture jobs were at the same point... but it declined') and minor tense inconsistencies. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication. Good control of punctuation is maintained throughout. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to produce a greater proportion of error-free complex sentences and eliminate minor agreement lapses.

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