Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-27

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 graph illustrate the average monthly change in the prices of three metal which are copper, nickel and zinc in the year 2014.

Overall, copper and zinc are moderatly in the same range and does not have any drastic change in price. Whereas there is a sudden drop observed in nickel price from January to December 2014.

Copper started at 1 percent price change in January moved slight upward move till 3 percent change in febreuary. Since then it has decreased and maintained the range 2 to -1 from March to December 2014. Zinc started with 2 percent price change in January which continued a downstream till June for around -1 percent price change. Then a small rise was observed in July to 1 percent change since then it remained in the same state and by December it was just above 1 percent change than previous month.

Nickel price was seen at 6 percent in the month of January followed by a dramatic fall till June at -3 percent change. However, after July some increase was observed till -1 percent and by December nickel was at 1 percent price change.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three metals and identifies the main trends. The overview is clear, highlighting the relative stability of copper and zinc compared to the volatility of nickel. However, some data points are described with slight inaccuracies, such as the claim that zinc 'continued a downstream till June' when the graph shows fluctuations, and the description of nickel's path is slightly imprecise regarding the specific months. While the main features are reported, the analysis could be more precise in its comparison of the specific percentage values to fully satisfy the requirements for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall,' 'Whereas,' and 'However,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data analysis. The flow is generally smooth, though some sentences could be better linked to improve the overall cohesion of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends such as 'sudden drop,' 'dramatic fall,' and 'slight upward move.' There are some spelling errors, such as 'moderatly' and 'febreuary,' and some awkward phrasing like 'downstream' to describe a price trend. While the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band. The use of 'same state' is also slightly unnatural in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The graph illustrate,' 'copper and zinc... does not have') and article usage errors. Some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'maintained the range 2 to -1.' While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The control over punctuation is generally acceptable, but the grammatical slips are noticeable throughout the text.

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.