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 given illustrates the switch in the prices of copper, zinc, and nickel over the months during 2014 on an average.

Overall, all the metal's prices fluctuated significantly all around the year. Nickle experienced a sharp decline after January and kept declining steadily until it reached its bottom. However, it went back up after July but still stood at the lowest place. Similarly, copper faced downward movements consequently. Meanwhile, zinc was the only metal whose percentage change in prices increased by the end.

In January, Nickle was at its peak at 6%, later in the mid of the year it fell to a negative 3, representing the lowest among all. By the end of the last two months, it stayed stable at 1%. Copper prices fluctuated variedly throughout the year, starting from 2% and during December, it was placed at right below 2%. In contrast, zinc figures noticed a sharp increase from 1% to 3% during first two months. Although, in later months it experienced a downward trend for the next 4 months. Moving forward towards the end of the year, zinc surpassed the other two metals and reached the tip at 3%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall pattern and include relevant figures, such as nickel’s January peak of 6% and June low of about −3%, as well as zinc’s rise from 1% to 3% early in the year. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear. Nickel did not decline steadily until its bottom: it rose from 1% in March to around 1% in April before falling, and it recovered to 1% in November and December. The claim that nickel “still stood at the lowest place” after July overlooks copper’s lower values in May and June. The overview also says copper moved downward, although it generally recovered after mid-year, and zinc did not finish at 3%: it ended at about 2%, while copper ended at 1.5%. More precise comparisons and a clearer account of the second half would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph of selected monthly details. The sequence from the metals’ early movements to their later changes is generally easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Similarly,” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. This gives the report a coherent progression. However, some transitions are not fully logical: “Similarly” introduces copper after a statement about nickel’s recovery, even though copper’s pattern differs, and “Although” begins a sentence without completing the contrast smoothly. The final paragraph also moves among all three metals without a consistent comparison structure. Grouping the early-year and later-year trends more deliberately, and using references that clearly identify which metal is being discussed, would make cohesion more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “sharp decline,” “fluctuated,” “downward trend,” and “surpassed.” These choices make the general subject clear, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural for graph reporting: “switch in the prices,” “fluctuated variedly,” “stood at the lowest place,” and “reached the tip” do not express the intended comparisons precisely. “Nickle” is also misspelled; the correct spelling is “nickel.” Prefer standard collocations such as “changes in prices,” “fluctuated,” “recorded the lowest figure,” and “peaked at.” More precise vocabulary would also help distinguish a price level from a percentage change, which is what the graph actually presents.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “although” and “while,” and most of the meaning remains understandable. Some grammatical errors and punctuation problems persist. For example, “all the metal’s prices” uses an incorrect singular possessive for three metals, while “during first two months” needs an article. The sentence beginning “Although, in later months…” is a fragment, because the concessive clause is not joined to a main clause; the comma after “Although” is also unnecessary. In “it reached its bottom,” the pronoun’s reference is not fully clear. Check articles, possessives, clause completion, and punctuation when editing. These corrections would improve accuracy while preserving the range of sentence structures you already attempt.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.