Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-04

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 supplied line graph illustrates the average 30 days change in the cost of three metals including copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

Overall, the price of nickel decreased generally despite of experiencing lowest change in June while the cost of rest two metals fluctuated steadily during this period.

Taking nickel in consideration, it is clear that it had the highest change of 6% in January, but its price declined drastically and the price changed by -3% in June. Afterwards, its price rose a little and there was a change of only 1% in December.

On the contrary, there was a very little change in the prices of the rest two metal initially as their prices changed negligibly but their prices declined slightly until the month of May. later on, there was again no change in their prices for almost three months from July to October but then their prices were uplifted a little by a change approximately 2% in the final month.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the graph, such as the initial high volatility of nickel and the general trends for all three metals. However, the response lacks precision in reporting data. For instance, you describe the prices of copper and zinc as 'fluctuating steadily' and 'changing negligibly', but you do not provide specific data points from the graph to support these claims. To reach a higher band, ensure you include specific figures (e.g., the exact percentage change in May or October) to illustrate your points. The overview is present but could be more clearly linked to the specific trends shown.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the contrary' and 'Afterwards' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or imprecise, such as 'later on' and 'rest two metal'. The referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, referring to 'the rest two metals' is slightly awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow and coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'drastically', and 'negligibly'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'average 30 days change' (should be 'average monthly change') and 'uplifted a little' (which is not standard for describing graph trends). Additionally, there are minor grammatical errors in word form, such as 'rest two metal' instead of 'remaining two metals'. Expanding your range of academic collocations would help improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'despite of' (should be 'despite' or 'in spite of'), 'rest two metal' (should be 'the remaining two metals'), and 'by a change approximately 2%' (should be 'by approximately 2%'). Punctuation is generally adequate, but some sentence structures are slightly repetitive. To improve, focus on eliminating these minor errors and increasing the variety of complex sentence forms to demonstrate better control.

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

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