Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-13

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 line graph provides information about the average monthly change in the market value of three metals - Copper, Nickel, and Zinc in 2014. The data is measured using percentage compared to previous month.

Overall, it can be seen that on the first month, nickel had the highest market value, this was overtook by zinc by the end of the year, leaving nickel as the lowest price change at the last month.

In detail, nickel had a sharp drop of its metal price from 6% to 1% on the first three months. It had a minimal change on the following months when a sudden fall was noted on June at -3%. The next three months it had a static trend at -1% with a slight decrease on October at -2% then it rose to 1% througout the last two months.

A different pattern was observed in copper which it had a fluctuating trend all throughout the year, ending at about 1.5% which is 5% less from its figure on the first month. A partly similar trend was also seen in zinc, having a 2% figure by the end of the year which was 1% higher from the first month.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast between nickel’s high starting point and its sharp mid-year fall, and you note that zinc finishes above its January level. However, the overview misstates the year-end comparison: nickel and zinc both finish at about 1–2%, with zinc highest, while copper ends around 1.5%; nickel is not clearly the lowest. The copper description also says it ends 5% below January, although it rises from about 2% to 1.5%, a difference of only around half a percentage point. Several useful features are omitted, especially zinc’s early peak and the shared recovery in November and December. This gives a relevant but only partly accurate account; clearer, more carefully selected comparisons would strengthen coverage and development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, and separate detail paragraphs for nickel and the other metals. This makes the main direction of the report easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “In detail,” and “A different pattern” help signal shifts. The progression is not fully smooth, however: the overview’s claim about the lowest year-end change is unclear, and the final paragraph combines copper and zinc without giving their monthly patterns enough separation. Some references, such as “the next three months,” require the reader to work out which months are meant. More precise time references and a clearer comparison structure would make cohesion more flexible and the progression more consistently controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “sharp drop,” “fluctuating trend,” “static trend,” and “rose,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more descriptive phrasing, such as “a sudden fall was noted.” Some choices are imprecise or unnatural for a graph report: “market value” suggests the metals’ actual prices rather than the monthly percentage change, while “minimal change” and “static trend” are less exact than describing the figures as stable or unchanged. “Overtook” is also awkward for the comparison at year end. Spelling slips such as “througout” and “partly” used where “partially” or “similar” is intended reduce accuracy. More precise collocations would improve flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the overview clause “leaving nickel as the lowest price change” and the comparison “which was 1% higher from the first month.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “this was overtook by zinc” has an incorrect passive verb form, and “a different pattern was observed in copper which it had” combines incompatible clause structures. The phrase “it had a fluctuating trend” also has an unclear subject, while “from its figure on the first month” shows problems with prepositions and article use. Aim to build accurate comparisons with structures such as “whereas” and “compared with,” and check verb forms and clause boundaries. These errors do not generally prevent understanding.

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