Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-14

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 compares the average monthly price fluctuation of three different metals namely copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

Overall, it can be seen that the proportion change in price of nickel was the highest during the first month and the lowest at the end of the year, whereas the percentage changes of copper was the lowest at the beginning and ended up at the greatest change as compared to previous month.

Looking in the percentage changes of nickel, starting from 6% in January, decreased significantly to -3% in June followed by the substantial rise to 1% during the month of November, afterwards remained the same.

Notably, the change in proportion of copper was started from 2%, decreased gradually to just below 0% by May, remained stable for one month before rising to 1%, afterwards it stayed there for the next three months and rose slightly to just over 1% by the end of the year.

In addition, although zinc contained the lowest percentage change initially which was 1%, rose to 3% before decreasing steadily to -1% by June. It's figure went up in October from -1% to almost 1.5% and rose minimally to 2% at the end of 2014.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by summarising the main features of the average monthly price changes for copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014, and makes relevant comparisons between them. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing general trends such as nickel's high initial change and low ending change. Key data points are selected and reported adequately across the body paragraphs. For instance, the student notes that nickel started at 6% in January and decreased significantly to -3% in June. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in interpreting the visual data, such as describing zinc as having an initial percentage change of 1% when the graph shows a different starting point, and confusing the terms 'proportion change' and 'percentage change'. Despite these minor flaws, the task is well addressed overall, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0, and is awarded a solid Band 6.5 due to slight generalisations and interpretation slips.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is arranged logically with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for each metal, ensuring a coherent overall arrangement. Paragraphing is used appropriately. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Looking in the percentage changes', 'Notably', and 'In addition'. However, some cohesive links and prepositions are awkward or inaccurate, such as 'Looking in the percentage changes' instead of 'Looking at', and referencing 'It's figure' for zinc. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally repetitive or slightly mechanical. Logical progression is generally maintained throughout, but the mechanical nature of some transitions prevents the text from achieving a higher band. Overall, the structural flow is clear and supports readability, justifying a Band 6.0 for this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items related to data reporting such as 'fluctuation', 'proportion change', 'substantially', and 'gradually'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing throughout the text. Examples include 'proportion change' instead of 'percentage change', 'Looking in the percentage changes' instead of 'Looking at the percentage changes', and 'zinc contained the lowest percentage change' instead of 'zinc recorded the lowest percentage change'. Additionally, the possessive error 'It's figure' rather than 'Its figure' appears. While these lexical errors occur with some frequency, they do not impede communication as the reader can still readily follow the intended meaning. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and participial phrases, such as 'starting from 6% in January, decreased significantly to -3%...' and 'although zinc contained the lowest percentage change initially which was 1%, rose to 3%...'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, particularly with missing subjects, faulty relative clause attachment, and dangling modifiers (e.g., 'the change in proportion of copper was started from 2%' using an incorrect passive construction). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but errors in verb forms and prepositions recur. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the text from achieving a higher band. The presence of both error-free structures and frequent minor grammatical errors aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

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