Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-11

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 illustrates the standard monthly shift in the price of three different metals: copper, nickel and zinc in the year 2014.

Overall, nickel began with higher volume declined in the whole year and become the most plummeted volatile. In contrast, all the metals remained plateaued from July to September.

Initially, zinc started with 1% change in January, surged to 3% during February, experienced minor fluctuations in the next three months, a sudden drop to -1% , then remained standardized from July to September and finally reached 1% in the end of the period.

Copper began with 2% in January, dropped to the lowest at 0.5% from May to June, proliferated to 1%, remained steady in next three months and then ended at 1.5% in December.

Relatively, the nickel started with 6% in January, faced an instant drop to 1% during two months, suffered slight oscillations, diminished at -3% as the lowest in whole year, leveled off for three months and ultimately reached 1% at the end of time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the graph, including the overall trends and specific data points for each metal. You provided a clear overview and made relevant comparisons between the three metals. However, some of your descriptions are slightly imprecise; for example, describing nickel as having 'higher volume' is inaccurate as the graph tracks price changes, not volume. Additionally, the term 'most plummeted volatile' is grammatically awkward and unclear. To reach a higher band, ensure that your data reporting is precise and that you use terminology that accurately reflects the nature of the data (e.g., 'percentage change' rather than 'volume').

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the specific details of each metal. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In contrast', 'Initially', and 'Finally', which help guide the reader through the information. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Some referencing is slightly mechanical, and the flow within the paragraphs is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'at the end of time'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used naturally would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'proliferated', and 'oscillations'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors that affect precision. For example, 'standardized' is not the best fit for a graph showing price changes, and 'proliferated' is typically used for rapid growth in numbers or cells, not necessarily price increases. The phrase 'most plummeted volatile' is also non-standard. To improve, focus on using collocations that are commonly associated with financial data, such as 'remained stable' or 'experienced a sharp decline'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'nickel began with higher volume declined in the whole year and become the most plummeted volatile', which lacks proper verb tense consistency and sentence structure. Other issues include 'in the end of the period' (should be 'at the end') and 'at the end of time' (which is stylistically odd). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage.

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

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