Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-14
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 graph compares the average monthly price fluctuation of three different metals, namely copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.
Overall, it can be seen that the percentage change in price of nickel was the highest during the first month and the lowest at the end of the year, whereas the percentage change of copper was the lowest at the beginning and ended up at the greatest change as compared to previous month.
Looking in the percentage changes of nickel, starting from 6% in January, decreased significantly to -3% in June followed by the substantial rise to 1% during the month of November and afterwards remained the same.
Notably, the change in percentage of copper started from 2%, decreased gradually to just below 0% by May, remained stable for one month before rising to 1%, afterwards it stayed there for the next three months and rose slightly to just over 1% by the end of the year.
In addition, although zinc contained the lowest percentage change initially which was 1%, it rose to 3% before decreasing steadily to -1% by June. Its figure went up in October from -1% to almost 1.5% and rose minimally to 2% at the end of 2014.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons between the three metals in 2014. The overview paragraph accurately highlights the main trends, noting that nickel began with the highest change and ended the lowest, while copper experienced the greatest overall shift by the end of the year. Specific data points are selected and reported well, such as nickel starting at 6% in January and dropping to -3% in June. While some minor details could be further synthesised, the response fully addresses the prompt's requirements and provides a clear summary of the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The response is logically organised into clear paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and distinct body paragraphs for each metal or trend. There is a clear overall progression throughout the essay. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'Notably', and 'In addition', guiding the reader through the data successfully. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional mechanical phrasing in transitions could be made more natural to reach a higher band. Overall, paragraphing and logical sequencing are handled appropriately.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The student uses an adequate and fairly wide range of vocabulary suitable for a Task 1 response, including terms like 'fluctuation', 'percentage change', 'decreased significantly', and 'remained stable'. There are successful attempts at less common vocabulary items, such as 'substantial rise' and 'decreased gradually'. However, there are a few minor lexical inaccuracies, such as 'Looking in the percentage changes' instead of 'Looking at', and 'contained the lowest percentage change' instead of 'showed the lowest percentage change'. These minor slips do not impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with good control over overall sentence structure. Examples of complex structures include 'whereas the percentage change of copper was the lowest at the beginning and ended up at the greatest change'. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'ended up at the greatest change as compared to previous month' and 'starting from 6% in January, decreased significantly', where subject omission creates minor incoherence. However, the majority of sentences are clear and errors rarely impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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