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 changes in the monthly rate of copper, nicel and zinc across different months of 2014.

Overall, the price of nicel experienced most dramatic fall, while the price of zinc increased slightly during the 12 months period. After multiple fluctuations, the rate of copper witnessed a relatively low decline at the end.

The price for nicel was 6 in January 2014 and plunged to exact -3 in June, demonstrating how drastically it fell. However, it grew to -1 in July and remained unchanged till September before dipping of to -2 in the following month. The price rocketed to 1 in November and remained stable untill December 2014.

The value for zinc started with 1 in January, peaking at 3 in February before experincing a rapid fall (-1) in June. However, it rose slightly and fell again to -1 in October, before rising to 2 at the end of the period. Starting at 2 in January, the value for the price of copper fell down to nearly -1 within next months, then witnessed a rise to 1 in July and maintained stable till Septemper. On the months of October 2014 , the price for this metal declined to nearly 0, after which it increased to almost 2 in December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall pattern and cover all three metals, with useful details such as nickel’s fall from 6 in January to -3 in June and zinc’s recovery to 2 in December. The overview also notes copper’s comparatively modest movement. However, some descriptions are inaccurate or imprecise: zinc does not fall to -1 in June (it is about -1 then, but reaches -1 again in October), and copper falls only to around -0.5, not “nearly -1.” The overview’s claim that zinc “increased slightly during the 12 months” is too broad because it declines into negative territory mid-year before recovering. This is a relevant, generally clear summary, but some comparisons and selected details need more precise reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of nickel and the other two metals. The sequence through the year is generally easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “However,” “before,” and “after which” help show changes over time. This gives the report a coherent overall arrangement. At times, though, the progression is less controlled: the final paragraph moves from zinc to copper without a clear transition, and the copper account begins with “Starting at 2” after zinc has just been discussed, so the reference is briefly ambiguous. Grouping the metals more deliberately and using clearer topic sentences would make cohesion more flexible and less dependent on repeated time markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of trend vocabulary, including “plunged,” “remained unchanged,” “peaking,” and “fluctuations,” which helps communicate the graph’s movements. Some less common choices are not fully accurate or natural in context: “rocketed” overstates nickel’s rise from -2 to 1, while “fell down” and “dipping of to” are awkward collocations. There are also spelling errors in “nicel,” “untill,” “experincing,” and “Septemper”; these do not prevent understanding but reduce accuracy. Use precise, neutral reporting verbs such as “rose,” “recovered,” and “declined,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the vocabulary more consistently appropriate for an academic data summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “before,” “while,” and “after which,” and most of the trends remain understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “during the 12 months period,” the article and noun form need adjustment (“a 12-month period”); “within next months” is missing an article or determiner; and “On the months of October” uses an incorrect prepositional pattern. The phrase “before dipping of to -2” also has a faulty construction. Punctuation spacing is inconsistent, as in “October 2014 ,”. These errors rarely obscure the intended meaning, but proofreading articles, prepositions, and clause structure would improve control while preserving your sentence variety.

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