Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-02

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 illustrates the average monthly percentage change in prices of copper,zinc and nickel throughout 2014.

Overall,all three metals experiences fluctuations in their prices.Nickel saw the most dramatic changes,while copper showed the most stable trend.

In Janurary,nickel recorded the highest increase at about 6%,followed by the zinc at around 2%.However,nickel's price change dropped sharply to 4% in Feburaray and to near zero by the March,before reaching the lowest ponit of -3 in June.Zinc's price rose to 3% in Feburary but then steadily declined to -1 in June.

Copper, shown by the dashed line,was the most stable metal.Its price change stayed below 1% for the most of the year,from Feburary to October. It was around to 1% in July to September.In contrast to nickel, copper showed only a gradual increase and then finally increased to 1.5 in December,which was similar to the other two metals at the end of the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern well: nickel is the most volatile, while copper is comparatively stable, and you report several key turning points, including nickel’s January peak and June low and zinc’s February rise and June fall. This gives the response a clear overview and relevant supporting detail. Some features, however, are less fully covered: the later recovery in nickel and zinc from November, and copper’s small negative changes in May and June, are not clearly described. Also, copper was below 1% from March to June and again in October–November, rather than continuously from February to October. More precise coverage of these stages and comparisons would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by details about the metals, with time markers such as “In January,” “in February,” and “in June” helping the reader follow the year. The contrast between nickel and copper also supports the comparison. However, the final paragraph moves between copper and nickel without fully explaining the later movements of all three series, so the progression is not consistently balanced. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “but” and “in contrast.” Grouping the early-year changes together and then describing the shared mid-year decline and late-year recovery would create a clearer progression and make the comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “percentage change,” “dramatic changes,” “stable trend,” “dropped sharply,” and “steadily declined.” These choices communicate the main movements, and the meaning remains clear. There are some spelling and word-choice inaccuracies, however, such as “Janurary,” “Feburaray,” and “ponit,” as well as the awkward phrase “was around to 1%.” “Copper, shown by the dashed line” may also be an unreliable description of the graph’s line style; naming the metal directly is safer. To improve, check spelling carefully and use precise collocations such as “stood at around 1%” or “rose to 1.5%.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview contrast “Nickel saw the most dramatic changes, while copper showed the most stable trend” and the sentence beginning “In contrast to nickel.” Most of the information is understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “all three metals experiences” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “from February to October” is not accurately framed as a continuous period for copper. Articles and punctuation also need attention: “followed by the zinc” is awkward, and several commas are joined directly to the next word. Review agreement, article use, and sentence punctuation, while retaining the useful range of structures you already attempt.

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