Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-08

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 graph presents information regarding the number of jobs available in four sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, industries such as retail and healthcare have seen a rising trend while others such as manufacturing and agriculture have seen the opposite. In 2020, both retail and healthcare lead with the number of jobs available, while agriculture is the lowest sector.

Manufacturing in 1960 was the largest benefactor of jobs for the population with 15 million jobs available. At the time, the smallest sector was healthcare with way below 5 million jobs. The two saw opposite trends as, while manufacturing peaked in 1980 with 20 million jobs present, it fell off from that point where in 2020 less than 15 million jobs are available, less than what was recorded in 1960. Healthcare has risen steadily in 40 years, from 5 million in 1980 to above 10 million in 2000 and by 2020, just a bit over 15 million as its peak.

Another rising sector was retail, which like agriculture in 1960 each had just a bit over 5 million jobs. Unlike agriculture, retail saw a rising trend as by 1980, 10 million jobs were available and by 2000, 15 million jobs. Retail in 2020 has the same number of jobs available as healthcare with just a bit over 15 million. Agriculture jobs fell over the years to a point where in 2020 it's the smallest sector of economy by number of jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response identifies the main overall pattern accurately: retail and healthcare rise, manufacturing and agriculture decline overall, and agriculture ends as the smallest sector. It also supports these points with relevant figures, including manufacturing’s peak of 20 million in 1980 and retail’s rise to 15 million by 2000. The comparison that retail and healthcare finish at similar levels is also well chosen. A few details are imprecise: healthcare starts at 2 million in 1960, rather than being described only as “way below 5 million,” and agriculture falls from 6 to 3 million by 1980, remains level in 2000, then reaches 2 million. More precise reporting of these stages, and a clearer distinction between the two sectors’ final values, would strengthen an otherwise well-focused summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview and two detail paragraphs. Its progression from the overall trends to manufacturing and healthcare, then retail and agriculture, makes the information easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “At the time,” “Unlike agriculture,” and “by 2000” help signal comparisons and chronology. Some connections could be more precise: “The two saw opposite trends” refers to manufacturing and healthcare, but the contrast is not fully explained until the following clauses. The final sentence repeats the overview that agriculture is the smallest sector, rather than adding a new comparison. More deliberate referencing and a concise concluding detail would make cohesion smoother and less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is enough vocabulary to describe trends and comparisons, including “peaked,” “risen steadily,” “fell,” and “rising trend.” These choices communicate the main movements clearly, and the writer varies wording rather than relying entirely on “increase” and “decrease.” However, some expressions are imprecise or informal for an academic report. “Largest benefactor of jobs” is not a natural way to describe the sector with the most jobs, while “fell off,” “way below,” and “just a bit over” sound conversational. “Lead with the number of jobs available” is also less precise than stating that the sectors had the highest employment. More accurate collocations and a consistently formal register would improve lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response uses a useful mix of simple and complex sentences, including contrast clauses with “while” and “as,” and most sentences are clear. Tense choices generally suit the historical data, as in “Manufacturing … was” and “Healthcare has risen steadily.” Some grammatical control is less consistent in longer constructions. For example, “The two saw opposite trends as, while manufacturing peaked…” is awkwardly structured, and “Agriculture jobs fell over the years to a point where in 2020 it's the smallest sector” shifts from past reporting to a present contraction. The phrase “retail and healthcare lead” also uses a present-tense verb in a description of the 2020 endpoint. Smoother clause construction and consistent tense would strengthen accuracy.

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