Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

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 change in the prices of copper, nickel and zinc on monthly basis in 2014.

Overall, the prices of all three metals changed throughout the year with nickel showing a great fall from its initial price in January. Whereas the prices of copper and zinc experienced lesser change and ended the year in almost the same percentage bracket.

The first half of 2014 was horrendous for nickel as it dropped from 6 percent change to -3 by June. Afterwards, it started to rise and stayed stable from July to September on -1. The period ended for nickel on 1 percent change after rising from a second brief dip -1 from September to October; -1 to -2.

Amongst the rest of metals, copper kept fluctuating from 2 percent in January to reaching its lowest of just above -1 for May and June, with a subsequent rise to 1 percent where it almost remained till the end of the given year. As per the percentage changes for zinc, it initially rose to 3 percent in February but witnessed decline till June as it reached its lowest of -1. The figures for zinc hovered around -1 till October and afterwards rose and ended on 2 percent in December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main pattern clearly: nickel begins with the largest rise and then falls sharply, while copper and zinc fluctuate less and recover towards year-end. It also supports this overview with relevant figures, including nickel’s fall from 6% to −3% by June and zinc’s rise to 2% in December. Most reported trends match the graph. However, copper’s lowest point is described as “just above −1” in May and June, whereas the graph shows about −0.5%; this is a noticeable misreading. The overview’s claim that copper and zinc ended in “almost the same percentage bracket” is also imprecise, since they finish at about 1.5% and 2%. Overall, the task is addressed with a clear overview and relevant detail, though a few comparisons could be more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into a brief introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs, with a sensible progression from nickel to the other metals. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Afterwards,” and “Amongst the rest” help guide the reader, and the main trends are generally easy to follow. This meets the lower-band expectation of a coherent overall arrangement and shows some flexibility in linking ideas. At times, however, connections become awkward or overly mechanical: “The period ended for nickel” is unclear, and the semicolon in “from September to October; -1 to -2” interrupts the sentence rather than clarifying it. More direct transitions and clearer sentence boundaries would make the progression smoother and cohesion less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is adequate range for describing trends, including “dropped,” “rise,” “fluctuating,” “decline,” and “hovered around.” These choices communicate the broad movements and show an attempt to vary vocabulary. Some less suitable choices and collocations limit precision, however. “Horrendous” is too emotive for a neutral data report, while “great fall” and “lesser change” are not natural descriptions in this context. “On monthly basis” also needs a more idiomatic form. The phrase “second brief dip” is understandable but could be expressed more precisely as a further decline. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient and meaning remains clear, but more consistently formal, accurate trend language would improve control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the overview contrast “Whereas the prices of copper and zinc…” and clauses describing changes over time. Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors are present. The opening says “on monthly basis,” which needs an article; “from a second brief dip -1 from September to October” has an incomplete and confusing construction; and the semicolon before “-1 to -2” is not used effectively. The sentence beginning “As per the percentage changes for zinc” is also awkwardly structured. These issues rarely prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy and control. Practise complete comparisons and use punctuation to separate full clauses clearly.

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