Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-28

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 provided graph illustrates average month-on-month fluctuation in rates of three different types of metals in the year 2014. In general copper and zinc started at a lowest rate at the start of year and ended up with some upward trend. Whereas, the nickel price were high at the start of January but it finished at a lower price at the end of year.

Overall, it is clear that price of copper in the month of January is 2% and there is a slight reduction until May. In June it further goes down to -1 and then in July its price soared to +1. Furthermore, its price remained stable till September than it dropped a little bit and again raised to 2% in December. Similarly, zinc rates begins at 1% in January and then suddenly escalated to 3% in February after that it goes down rapidly in upcoming months and reached -1 in June and July. From August to October they remain static at -1 and in the final year of December it rocketed to 2 %.

A noticeable trend is seen in nickel price as it start from its highest % of 6% and it plummeted to-3% in June and raised to 2% in December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three metals and identifies key trends, such as the initial high point for nickel and the fluctuations for copper and zinc. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it describes specific data points rather than synthesising the main features. The description of the data is occasionally inaccurate, such as stating copper started at 2% in January when the graph shows it starting at 0%. Additionally, the report lacks a clear comparison between the metals, focusing instead on describing each one in isolation. To improve, ensure data accuracy and provide a more analytical summary of the overall trends rather than a chronological list of every fluctuation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs for the data. Cohesive devices such as 'In general', 'Whereas', 'Overall', and 'Similarly' are used to link ideas. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'in the final year of December', which is redundant and confusing. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to show contrast and sequence more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some attempts at more descriptive language like 'soared', 'escalated', 'plummeted', and 'rocketed'. However, there are issues with word choice and collocation. For example, 'rates' is used repeatedly where 'prices' or 'fluctuations' would be more precise. There are also minor errors such as 'raised to 2%' (should be 'rose') and 'final year of December'. The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but the lack of precision in terminology prevents a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, such as 'nickel price were high' (should be 'was'), 'zinc rates begins' (should be 'began'), and 'it start from' (should be 'started'). Additionally, there are issues with prepositions and articles, such as 'in the month of January is 2%' and 'in the final year of December'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score to a 6.0.

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