Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-24

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 6.5)

Mean monthly price change of three metals copper, nickel and zinc over the course of 2014 has represented by line chart.

Overall, it can be seen that there was a significant decrease in the cost of nickel over the 12-month period whereas, the fluctuations for zinc and copper did not lead to a massive price growth or drop.

To begin with, initially nickel was priced highest and went through a dramatic drop of 5 percent by March. The price for copper also steadily fell during this period. Furthermore, after experiencing a steady decline, the rates dramatically fell down again and reached lowest by June. Interestingly, February onwards, zinc prices also experienced a similar trend.

Another development worth pointing is that, over a period of 3 months, beginning from July, the value for all three metals remained stagnant. During the last quarter, each metal went through fluctuations, leaving nickel priced at 1 percent in comparison to the previous month and the other two metal priced somewhat higher.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, including the overall trend and specific comparisons. However, the description of the data is somewhat imprecise. For instance, stating that nickel 'reached lowest by June' is vague without specifying the value, and the description of the final quarter is confusing, as the graph shows specific percentage changes rather than absolute values. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precise data points and the slightly inaccurate interpretation of the final quarter's data prevent a higher score. The overview is present but could be more clearly linked to the specific data trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'Another development worth pointing is that' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the comparison between the metals becomes difficult to follow. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within the final paragraph could be improved to better clarify the relationships between the three metals.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with attempts at descriptive language such as 'dramatic drop', 'stagnant', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'represented by line chart' (missing article) and 'the other two metal priced somewhat higher' (pluralization error). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. The repetition of 'priced' and 'price' also limits the lexical variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('by line chart'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the other two metal priced'), and awkward phrasing ('Mean monthly price change... has represented by'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures. Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction could be more polished to improve flow and accuracy.

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