You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.
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.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
The line graph illustrates employment trends across four different sectors of the US economy over a sixty-year period, from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, the manufacturing sector consistently employed the largest number of people throughout the period, despite experiencing a significant decline in later years. Conversely, the retail sector saw a steady upward trajectory, eventually overtaking manufacturing by 2020. Meanwhile, agriculture remained relatively stable, and healthcare exhibited moderate fluctuations.
In 1960, manufacturing dominated with 15 million jobs, and this figure rose to a peak of 20 million in 1980. However, from that point onward, it experienced a gradual but continuous fall, dropping to 13 million by the end of the period. In contrast, the retail sector started at just 6 million jobs in 1960, but grew consistently, reaching 15 million in 2000 and finally 16 million in 2020, thus surpassing manufacturing as the largest employer.
The agricultural sector maintained a constant level of approximately 5 million jobs across all four decades, showing no significant change. Healthcare, on the other hand, began as the smallest sector with only 2 million employees in 1960, rose steadily to 4 million in 1980, but then unexpectedly declined back to 2 million by 2020, matching its initial figure.
Why this answer scores Band 7.0:
| Criteria | How the sample meets Band 7 requirements |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement | Clearly identifies all main trends (manufacturing decline, retail rise, stable agriculture, fluctuating healthcare). Provides specific data points for support. |
| Coherence & Cohesion | Logical paragraph structure: introduction → overview → detailed body paragraphs. Uses cohesive devices naturally (Overall, Conversely, However, In contrast, On the other hand). |
| Lexical Resource | Good range of vocabulary: illustrates, employment trends, trajectory, overtaking, steady upward trajectory, moderate fluctuations, dominated, surpassed, constant level, unexpected decline. No repetition of simple words. |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Uses a mix of simple and complex sentences. Good use of tenses (past simple for finished periods, past perfect for earlier points). Accurate prepositions and comparisons. No significant grammatical errors. |
Key tips to maintain Band 7.0+ in Task 1:
Always start with an overview paragraph (second paragraph) – summarise the biggest overall changes before going into details.
Use accurate data – mention specific numbers from the graph.
Vary your vocabulary – avoid repeating rise/fall/increase/decrease. Use synonyms like surge, climb, drop, decline, plunge, recover, fluctuate.
Compare, don't just describe – explicitly contrast sectors (e.g., "while manufacturing fell, retail rose").
Write at least 150 words – this sample is around 170 words, which is ideal.
Band Score 6.5The graph illustrates changes in the number of jobs in four different sectors of the U.S economy from 1960 to 2020. Overall, Retail and Healthcare showed upward growth, while the number of jobs in manufacturing and agriculture declined. Manufacturing started with approximately 15 million jobs in 1960; it reached about 20 million in 1980; after that, it had a significant fall, reaching about 13 million by 2020. Healthcare began with around 6 million jobs in 1960; then it showed consistent growth and increased to 16 million in 2020. Whereas retail stood at roughly 6 million jobs in 1960, it climbed to about 16 million in 2020, surpassing manufacturing in 2000. On the other hand, agriculture started with the lowest figure among other categories; it had approximately 3 million jobs in 1960. After that, it showed a dramatic increase over the last few decades and reached nearly 16 million in 2020.
Band Score 5.5This graph line illustrates short-time occupations in four diverse sectors, that are measured in millions from 1960 to 2020 in the Unites States of America's economy. Overall, manufacture and agriculture industries have decrease their work opportunities, while healthcare and retail sectors have dramatically increased their job market. In 1980, manufacturing has experienced the highest peak ever with 20 million offers, from this point its offers have, with agriculture's, steadily decliend over the years to be situated to just below 15 millions and around 2 millions respectively. In contrast, retailing market with a similar start number of jobs as healthcare sector, have gradually risen to attain the same amount of employment offers in 2020 which is just above 15 million. Additionally, it is shown that agricultural industry is the less popular at 2020 with half 5 million of job placements. Therefore, any sector has remained with an alike number of opportunities since 1960 to 2020.
Band Score 5.5The line graph illustrates the details about number of jobs in four sections of the economy in the Us between 1960 and 2020. It shows the manufacturing skyrocketed whereas the data of agriculture dramatically declined between the year 1960 and 2020. The information on retails shows the slightly increased in the year 2000 and then continued the same in the year 2020. Agriculture had the least job opportunities in the year 1980, 2000 and in 2020 whereas it shows that the start was quite good in the year 1960. In contrast we can assume that Healthcare has a slightly increased data that shows the improvement in this sector and by the year 2020 it has made a good set of opportunities for people. This data illustrates that the job opportunities has more in the manufacturing sector whereas it can be assumed that Agriculture has a least impact on the people's interest and had resulted in low job opportunities.
Band Score 6The line grpah compares the number of jobs in the US from 1960 to 2020 which icludes manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare. Overall, manufacturing dominated at the beginning,but retail and agriculture surpassed it in 2020, whereas agriculture recorded the lowest position. In 1960, manufacturing employed 15 millions individuals,but it steeply toped in 1980 reaching 20 millions, which was almost three times higher than agriculture. However, this sectors gradually declined in the next 4 decades, when approximately 13 millions worker worked in it. In contrast, both healthcare and retail sectors steadily increased. In 1960, healthcare occupied around 3 millions, while retail deployed about 6 millions. In next several years,both these fields rose progressively to approximate 12 and 15 millions in 2000. The trend continued to soar and each of the figure platueated in 2020 by reaching around 17 millions.On the other hand, agriculture stood in the lowest figure. From 1960 to 1980,this sector saw a sharp decline,followed by a gradual dip to 2020, hitting a low of roughly 2 millions.
Band Score 6The line graph shows information about the amount of job sectors in the US between the years 1960 and 2020. Overall what stands out from the graph is that there were considerable upward trends in both retail and healthcare , while the number of agriculture saw a considerable fell over the estimated time period. Another notable point is that manufacturing was the largest employer in 1980 but reversely agriculture was the least employer in the same year amongst others. Looking at the details, as regards agriculture, started with just over 5 million in 1960, then a downfall to about three million happened in 1980. Then the sector remained stable until after 2000, finishing at about 2 million. If we look at healthcare, the sector started at almost 2 million in 1960. Over the years grew upwards. In 1980 the sector reached to 5 million employers. Then the sector rose sharply. In 2020 healthcare reached to a little over 15 million reaching to the same number as the retail sector. By contrast, the number of employers in manufacturing started with a larger number of 15 million employers than the others in 1960. Even though the number grew to 20 million in 1980 within the next 40 years the number decreased significantly to a little less than 15 million making it the 3rd largest employed sector in 2020.
Band Score 6The Line graph provides information about number of jobs in US economy in four sectors from 1960 to 2020 where figures are presented in million. Overall, number of jobs in American economy increased significantly in Retail and Health care over the entire time period. While, jobs in Manufacturing declined drastically and remained relatively stable for agriculture. As the graph shows, Manufacturing recorded higher number of jobs amongst all the sectors with 15 million in 1960 increasing upto 20 million in 20 years after which it declined steadily until it fell just over 13 million in 2020. Whereas, there were 2 million jobs in Healthcare sector in 1960 with sector experiencing considerable growth to almost above 15 million in 2020. By Contrast, there were almost 6 million jobs in Retail industry in 1960 and experienced a relatively steady growth until 2020 with 15 million jobs before stablising to almost 16 million in 2020. However, Retail jobs decline to just below 5 million in 1980 and then subsequently remained stable until 2020.
Band Score 5The plan takes data about the amount of employment in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020. Overall, four sectors like manufacturing, retail, agriculture, healthcare are economy of the US. Retail and healthcare have highest number of jobs except agriculture. Manufacturing is similar to begins. the lowest number of jobs is agriculture. In 1960, manufacturing is in the highest jobs although it decrease until 2020.It has 15 millions of employment then 13 millions of job. The retail and healthcare are decrease in their own way and both has same amount of employment in 2020. In 1960, retail has 6 millions of job and healthcare have 3 millions of jobs and both increase around 16 millions of job. At last the lowest known as agriculture. It started from 6 millions of jobs in 1960 but go down in 2020 around 3 millions of jobs.