Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows the average monthly change in the prices of three metals during 2014.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Average monthly change in prices of copper, nickel and zinc (2014)

Student answer (Band 7.0)

The given line graph illustrates how the average percentage of the prices of copper, nickel and zinc changed in 2014.

Overall, it shows two main trends: nickel and copper registered a drop from january to the end of the year, while zinc started at a lower percentage change and ended at a higher one. The metal which fluctuated the most was nickel.

First of all, nickel had its peak in january, when the change was 6% compared with previous months, it dropped until june reaching its lowest rate of -3%; then it fluctuated and it rose to 1% in november. Copper began the year with a 2% rate, it continuously declined until may, when the percentage change was less than 0%; from june to december it fluctuated and the rate was slightly more than 1%.

The sole exception was zinc: in january it had a percentage change of 1%, the peak was registered in february (3%), subsequently it dropped to -1% in june. It remained almost stable until october, then it rose to 2% in december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response selects the main patterns and supports them with relevant figures: nickel peaks at 6% in January before reaching −3% in June, while zinc rises to 3% in February and ends at 2%. The overview also identifies nickel as the most volatile series and contrasts zinc’s higher year-end change with its starting point. However, the overview overgeneralises by saying both nickel and copper “registered a drop … to the end of the year”: copper finishes below its January figure, but nickel finishes at 1%, rather than continuing a downward trend. Some detail is also imprecise: copper’s change is stable at 1% from July to September, and nickel’s later movement is described only generally. More exact comparisons would strengthen an otherwise clear summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised effectively into an introduction, an overview and separate detail paragraphs for nickel/copper and zinc. The progression from the broad picture to specific monthly changes is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “First of all,” “then” and “subsequently” help signal sequence. The grouping of nickel and copper together is reasonable, although the paragraph moves between the two series without a clear comparison, and “The sole exception” is not fully precise because zinc is not the only series with a late-year rise. Some sentence connections rely on repeated “then” or comma-linked clauses. Clearer transitions and more explicit comparisons between metals would make cohesion more flexible and less dependent on chronological listing.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

There is a sufficient range of task-appropriate vocabulary, including “registered a drop,” “peak,” “fluctuated,” “remained almost stable” and “percentage change.” These choices allow the writer to describe trends and turning points with reasonable precision. Some collocations and phrasing are less natural: “the average percentage of the prices” is unclear, and “the change was 6% compared with previous months” does not accurately express the chart’s month-on-month measure. “The rate was slightly more than 1%” is also vague when the final copper figure is about 1.5%. The vocabulary is varied enough for the task, but more precise terms such as “monthly price change” and “rose to” would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including time clauses such as “when the change was 6%” and sequencing structures with “until” and “then.” Meaning remains clear throughout. However, several sentences join independent clauses with commas, for example, “it dropped until June …, then it fluctuated” and “Copper began …, it continuously declined”; these need a full stop, semicolon or conjunction. The opening phrase “the average percentage of the prices … changed” also has an awkward grammatical relationship, and the overview’s “from January to the end of the year” construction is not well integrated with the following clause. Capitalise month names consistently. These recurring sentence-boundary and phrasing issues limit accuracy, although the range of structures is evident.

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