Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-12

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 6.0)

The bar chart compares Copper , Nickel ,and Zinc in terms of price in year 2014.

Overall nickel recorded the highest and lowest figures.Another noticeable feature is that most of the time their percentage shows decline.

Initially, Nickel showed 6% change in price compared to previous month which is one of the highest achieved by it in all three categories .After first month its price followed downward trend till the end of second quarter to -3% which is one of the lowest figure recorded by it in all three categories However , later till the end of year its price reached to 1%.

Moving on to Zinc ,this is the second category listed on graph .In the beginning its value was 1% .Later on in second month its price rose up to 3% change which is the peak achieved by it.In second quarter its price dropped to -1% which is the lowest one although afterwards till the end of year its price reached 2%.

Copper is the third category listed in graph . I showed decline till the end of second quarter subsequently it got stable and showed increase up to 1.5%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main series and include relevant figures, especially nickel’s high starting point of 6% and fall to -3%, and zinc’s peak of 3% followed by a low of -1%. The overview also correctly notes that nickel reaches the most extreme values. However, the account is only partly complete: the claim that most of the time all three show a decline is too broad, since copper is stable or rises for much of the second half, while zinc and nickel recover in November and December. Copper’s description is particularly unclear and omits its mid-year dip and later pattern. Report the overall contrast more precisely, then cover the key movements for each metal with accurate month references.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for nickel, zinc and copper. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Moving on to Zinc,” and “subsequently” help the reader follow the account. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical, and some references are unclear—for example, “I showed decline” does not clearly identify copper, while “its price” is repeated without always making the subject easy to track. The nickel paragraph also runs several ideas together, with missing sentence boundaries around “all three categories However.” Use clearer sentence breaks and link comparisons across the metals, rather than treating each series as an isolated list.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “downward trend,” “peak,” “dropped,” “stable,” and “increase,” which makes the main movements understandable. There are also attempts at more formal reporting language, such as “recorded” and “noticeable feature.” Some choices are imprecise or repetitive, however: “price reached to 1%” is not a natural collocation, and “highest achieved by it” is awkward. “Categories listed on graph” is also less precise than referring to the metals or series. Aim for concise, accurate chart language and vary repeated uses of “price” and “value.” Check capitalisation and spacing around punctuation as well, since these affect the presentation of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including “After first month its price followed downward trend till the end of second quarter to -3%,” and most of the intended meaning can be understood. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, sentence boundaries and clause construction. For example, “in year 2014” needs an article, and “After first month” also needs a determiner. The sentence beginning “I showed decline” has an incorrect subject, and the long nickel sentence needs clearer punctuation before “However.” There is some control of past-tense reporting, but accuracy is uneven. Build complex sentences around clear subjects and check articles, verb forms and punctuation during revision.

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