Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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 given line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of US economy between 1960 and 2020. Overall, the retail sector and healthcare sector experienced significant growth, while the manufacturing secotor and agricultural sector faced a drop in the number of jobs. However, the manufacturing sector consistently having the highest number of jobs.

To begin with, in 1960 the manufacturing sector was leading at 15 million jobs, which climbed to a peak of 20 million by 1980 and then gradually declined to 17 million in 2000 and fell further to approximately 13 milion. A similar trend can be seen for the agriculture sector, in 1960 it recorded 6 million jobs, which steadily fell to 3 million by 1980 and remained stable till 2000 after which it slightly fell to 2 million by 2020.

On the Other hand, the retail sector steadily rose from 6 million in 1960 to 10 million in 1980. This figure quiclkly climbed to 15 million in 2000 and eventually in 2020 it peaked at 16 million. Similarly, the healthcare sector showed remarkable growth rising from 2 million in 1960 to 5 million in 1980, which further surged to 11 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response selects the main trends and supports them with relevant figures: manufacturing rises to 20 million before falling, agriculture declines, and retail and healthcare grow. The overview also identifies the broad contrast between expanding and shrinking sectors. However, its claim that manufacturing “consistently” had the most jobs is inaccurate: by 2020, retail and healthcare both reached about 16 million, above manufacturing at approximately 13 million. This weakens an otherwise clear overview. The account is also mainly a sequence of figures; a direct comparison of the two leading sectors at the end would make the key change in ranking clearer. Overall, the task is addressed with relevant, generally well-selected data, though one important comparison is over-generalised.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised clearly into an introduction and overview followed by paragraphs grouping the declining sectors and the growing sectors. This creates a logical progression, and linking expressions such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “Similarly” help guide the reader. The sequence within each sector is also easy to follow chronologically. Some transitions are a little formulaic, and the final paragraph could connect retail and healthcare more explicitly by comparing their equal endpoint rather than treating them only as parallel trends. The overview’s claim about manufacturing remaining highest also disrupts the otherwise clear account because it conflicts with the final figures. Overall, cohesion is effective, with room for more flexible comparison and linking.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The response uses a suitable range of trend vocabulary, including “climbed,” “declined,” “remained stable,” “surged,” and “peaked,” which makes the changes easy to understand. It also uses relevant sector terminology consistently. However, some choices are imprecise or less natural: “faced a drop” is less suitable than “experienced a decline,” and “quickly climbed” suggests speed that the chart does not establish. There are also spelling errors in “secotor,” “milion,” and “quiclkly,” alongside inconsistent capitalisation in “Other.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit accuracy and polish. More precise collocations and careful proofreading would strengthen the range already demonstrated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response attempts a useful mix of simple and complex structures, including relative clauses such as “which climbed to a peak” and participial phrasing such as “rising from 2 million.” Most trends remain clear, but some grammatical control is inconsistent. In the overview, “the manufacturing sector consistently having” lacks a finite verb; use “consistently had.” The sentence beginning “A similar trend can be seen…” joins two independent clauses with a comma, and “in 1960 the manufacturing sector was leading” would read more naturally with an article or a different construction. These are noticeable but do not generally obstruct meaning. To improve, check sentence boundaries and ensure each main clause has a complete verb structure.

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