Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-19

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 multiple line graphs compare the monthly proportional change in the cost of copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

Overall, the proportional change in the prices have decreased by the end of 2014 for nickel and copper—nickel showed a significant drop in price changes—, while zinc's price witnessed a growth.

In January, nickel was at a significant lead with 6% change in prices compared to copper at 2% and zinc at 1%. By May, the proportion for nickel plummeted to about 0.5% and copper declined consistently to roughly -0.5%. However, zinc's price peaked at 3% in February and it dropped to the initial level by May.

In June, the figure fell sharply to -3% for nickel and -1% for zinc, whereas it remained unchanged for copper. In July, the percentage change in prices for nickel, zinc and copper climbed to -1%, around -0.5% and 1% respectively and it remained at the same level until September. In October, the proportion dipped to -2% for nickel, -1% for zinc and nearly -0.5% for copper, before increasing to 1%, 2% and 1.5% respectively by December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the full year and identify the main contrast: nickel and copper finish below their early levels of monthly change, while zinc ends higher. The key figures are generally accurate, including nickel’s January high, its June low, and the metals’ recovery toward December. This gives the report a relevant overview and useful supporting detail. However, the overview is not fully precise: copper ends at about 1.5%, below its January 2%, but it does not show a clear overall decline in the same way as nickel; its monthly change is mostly modest and fluctuating. Also, the statement that copper declined “consistently” to May overlooks its flat value in April. A more exact overview and clearer distinction between price change and price level would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into an introduction, overview and two chronological detail paragraphs, so the reader can follow the year’s progression. Time markers such as “By May,” “In June,” and “In October” help sequence the data, and comparisons between the three metals are generally easy to locate. Some linking is less controlled, however. The long overview sentence uses dashes awkwardly, and “it remained at the same level until September” has an unclear reference: it appears to refer to all three metals, although their values differ across July, August and September. The final paragraph also packs several months and figures into one sentence. Use shorter comparisons and explicit references to each metal to make cohesion more precise and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of chart-reporting vocabulary, including “plummeted,” “peaked,” “fell sharply,” “climbed,” and “dipped,” which helps describe changes rather than merely list figures. The meaning is generally clear, but some word choices and collocations are imprecise. “Monthly proportional change” and “proportion for nickel” are less natural than “monthly percentage change” or “figure for nickel”; “cost” is also less appropriate than “price” for the graph. “Nickel was at a significant lead” is awkward, and “price witnessed a growth” is not idiomatic. Repeated use of “proportion” also reduces precision. Choose standard terms for percentage movements and vary them carefully, ensuring that descriptions refer to the change in price rather than the price itself.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a useful mix of simple and complex sentences, including comparisons with “whereas” and time clauses beginning “before.” Most sentences communicate the intended trends, and the data relationships are usually understandable. Some grammatical errors remain. In the overview, “the proportional change in the prices have decreased” has subject–verb disagreement; “change” requires “has,” or the sentence could be recast. The phrase “it remained at the same level until September” also creates an unclear pronoun reference, while the dash construction around “nickel showed a significant drop” interrupts the sentence awkwardly. There are also punctuation and spacing slips, such as the extra spaces before “to” and “-2%.” Review agreement and sentence boundaries, and make sure pronouns clearly identify the metal being discussed.

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