Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, it is clear that manufacturing had the highest number of jobs for most of the period, although its figure declined after 1980. In contrast, retail and healthcare experienced substantial growth, while agriculture showed a continuous decline.

To begin with, in 1960, there were 15 million jobs in manufacturing compared with 6 million jobs in both retail and agriculture and just 2 million jobs in healthcare. By 1980, the number of manufacturing jobs had increased to 20 million, while retail and healthcare rose to 10 million and 5 million, respectively. In contrast, agriculture declined to approximately 3 million jobs.

Drawing attention to rest of the data, by 2000, manufacturing jobs dropped to 17 million jobs. In contrast, jobs for retail and healthcare increased to 15 million and 11 million respectively and there was no change in the number of agriculture jobs. In 2020, there were more jobs for retail and healthcare at 16 million compared to manufacturing at 13 million. Jobs for agriculture declined slightly to 2 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and effectively reporting the main features and trends of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The student accurately highlights that manufacturing dominated early on before declining, while retail and healthcare experienced substantial growth and agriculture steadily decreased. Key data points are well selected and compared across the timeline, such as noting the peak of manufacturing in 1980 at 20 million and the convergence of retail and healthcare at 16 million by 2020. Ideas are well developed and supported with precise figures, meeting all requirements of the prompt with only minor omissions that do not detract from the overall clarity.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the response. The text is divided into appropriate paragraphs, starting with a clear introduction and a well-defined overview that captures the main trends. Cohesive devices are used flexibly to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'To begin with', and 'Drawing attention to rest of the data'. Referencing and substitution are managed well, though phrases like 'Drawing attention to rest of the data' feel slightly mechanical compared to the more natural integration seen in higher bands. Overall, the information flows smoothly from one sentence to the next without causing confusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The response uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, allowing for effective reporting of numerical data and trends. The student employs appropriate less common items and functional language such as 'substantial growth', 'continuous decline', and 'approximately'. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate, with phrases like 'jobs in four sectors of the economy' used correctly. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses, such as 'Drawing attention to rest of the data', but spelling and word choice errors are rare and do not impede communication, comfortably placing this response within the target band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentences, including subordinate clauses and comparative structures such as 'while retail and healthcare experienced substantial growth, while agriculture showed a continuous decline' and 'compared with 6 million jobs in both retail and agriculture'. There are frequent error-free sentences, and the student shows good control of past tense verbs and numerical prepositions. A minor slip occurs in the phrase 'Drawing attention to rest of the data' (missing article 'the'), but overall punctuation and grammatical control remain solid throughout the text, allowing for smooth readability.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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