Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-09

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)

The line chart illustrates the percentage changes in the monthly prices of copper, nickel and zinc throughout the year 2014.

Overall, it is evident that nickel experienced the most significant price fluctuations, reaching both the highest and lowest percentage changes during this year. Furthermore, while all three metals began the year with positive growth, they all dipped into negative figures around the mid-year before recovering slightly by December.

At the start of 2014, Nickel recorded the highest growth in price among the three metals at 6%, followed by zinc at 1% and copper at 2%. However, nickels price declined sharply over the next few months, reaching it lowest point in June at -3%. Zinc and copper showed similar downward trends during the same period, declining to -1% and 0.5% respectively in June.

From July to September, price changes for all three metals remained relatively stabled, Nickel surged around -1%, zinc at 0.5%, and copper stayed positive at 1%. In October nickel dropped again to -2%, while copper and zinc observed minimal dipped. By December, all three metals ended the year in positive territory, with zinc rising to 2%, copper to 1.5% and nickel to 1%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively summarizes the main features of the graph. You have identified the key trends, such as the initial growth, the mid-year decline, and the year-end recovery. The comparison between the three metals is clear, and you have highlighted the most significant fluctuations for nickel. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points mentioned are accurate; for instance, the starting point for copper is described as 2% in the text, but the graph shows it closer to 0%. Precision in data reporting is essential for Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, and you have used cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'From July to September' to link information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the initial trends from the later developments. To improve, ensure that referencing is always clear; for example, 'nickels price' should be 'nickel's price' and ensure consistent use of capitalization for the metal names.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuations', 'downward trends', 'surged', and 'positive territory'. These terms are appropriate for an academic report. There are some minor errors in word choice and punctuation, such as 'stabled' instead of 'stable' and the missing apostrophe in 'nickels'. While these do not impede communication, addressing these small inaccuracies would demonstrate a more sophisticated control of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the majority of sentences are clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'reaching it lowest point' (should be 'its') and 'minimal dipped' (should be 'minimal dips'). Additionally, there are some inconsistencies in capitalization and punctuation. The grammar is generally functional and rarely causes confusion, but to reach a higher band, you should aim for more error-free sentences and greater precision in subject-verb agreement and possessive forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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