Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-20

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 variation in the costs of three metals namely copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

Overall, nickel had the most variation throughout, starting from the highest change in the percentage to falling at the lowest as compared to the other two metals. Zinc experienced highest percentage change in price at the end of the year. Moreover, the costs for nickel and zinc declined to negative percentages in the same month. The three metals experienced a static period in cost variation in the same three months of the year.

Nickel started with a 6% change in price in January and then continued to decline till May. The cost variation took a huge dip in June falling to -3%. It then rose shortly in July before becoming static for the next three months at -1%, followed by a period of increase and then levelling off at 1% from November to December.

Zinc started with the lowest percentage change in price at 1%. It went up to 3% and then plummeted continuously till May before falling sharply in June just like nickel. After that becoming plateaued from July to September below 0% till finally reaching at 2% in December. Copper experienced a sharp decrease from 2% to below 1% from January t April and then following a static period for May and June and almost reaching negative percentage. It then rose back to 1% where it remained unchanged for three months and then fell back till November and then finally reaching to around 2%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview of the main trends and supporting details with specific figures from the graph. The overview successfully identifies that nickel experienced the most fluctuation, while zinc peaked at the end of the year. However, there are a few minor inaccuracies or vague expressions in the body paragraphs; for instance, the description of copper's trend contains some confusing phrasing ('almost reaching negative percentage... reaching to around 2%'), as copper never dipped below zero on the chart. Despite minor descriptive slips, the key features, trends, and comparisons between the three metals are sufficiently reported, meeting the expectations for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is clearly structured into four logical paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overall summary and then detailed descriptions of individual metals. Cohesive devices are used adequately throughout, such as 'Overall', 'Moreover', 'It then rose shortly', and 'After that'. Progression is generally clear, guiding the reader smoothly through the temporal data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate each metal's trajectory, and referencing is mostly clear, though some transitional links between sentences could be tighter. This corresponds to a Band 7 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, successfully employing terms such as 'variation', 'fluctuation' (implied), 'plummeted', 'plateaued', and 'levelling off'. There are occasional awkward word choices or minor inaccuracies, such as 'static period in cost variation' instead of 'stable' or 'constant', and 'falling sharply in June just like nickel' where a more formal register would be expected. Nonetheless, less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of collocation, easily supporting a Band 6.5 or solid Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including temporal clauses ('starting from the highest change', 'After that becoming plateaued'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions, such as missing prepositions or incorrect participle forms (e.g., 'After that becoming plateaued', 'from January t April', 'and then following a static period'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these errors persist, they do not impede overall communication. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 6 descriptors.

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

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