Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-21

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 graph illustrates the average monthly difference in the price of copper, nickel and zinc from January to December 2014.

Overall, the three metals saw fluctuations in their prices throughout the period. Zinc price went up slightly, while nickel and copper experienced a downward trend.

Firstly, zinc price was 1% in January, then it rose considerably to 3% in February. Following this it declined steadily over the next 4 months to -1% then it increased slightly to about -0.5% in July and remained constant until September before sloping back to -1% in October after this it went up significantly and ended the year at 2%.

Contrastly, the price of nickel was 6% in January, this was the highest figure recirded. Subsequently, it reached a low of -3% in June, then it climbed gradually to -1% in July and was stable until October. Consequently, it increased to 1% in November andit levelled off. Similarly, Copper price was 2% in January then it went down steadily to about -0.6% in June, after this it rose to 1% in July and remained the same until October when it dropped to and 0.7% and it then rose gradually to 0.4% in December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview and describing the trends and key figures for all three metals. The introduction correctly identifies the scope of the graph, and the overview captures the general fluctuations and overall trends, noting that zinc rose slightly while nickel and copper experienced downward movements. However, there are some minor data inaccuracies and misreadings in the body paragraphs; for example, the student states that zinc price was 1% in January (the graph shows 1%) and that it declined to -1% over the next 4 months (the data shows it rose to a peak of 3% in February before declining). Furthermore, the description of copper at the end contains slight numerical confusions. Despite these minor discrepancies, the main features are sufficiently reported, warranting a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The information is divided into sensible paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by distinct data groupings for the metals. Cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'Firstly', 'Contrastly', 'Subsequently', and 'Similarly' are employed to guide the reader through the data, although some linkers like 'Contrastly' are non-standard. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraph three becomes a dense block of text connecting multiple clauses and metals together without sufficient breathing room or structural division, which detracts slightly from smooth cohesion. Overall, the organizational structure satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to trend analysis such as 'fluctuations', 'downward trend', 'rose considerably', 'declined steadily', and 'levelled off'. There are, however, some lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'Contrastly' instead of 'In contrast' or 'Conversely', and a typo with 'recirded'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main features clearly, the frequency of word-choice inaccuracies and non-standard forms keeps the lexical score at a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using temporal clauses and relative structures effectively. Grammatical control is variable; while many sentences are clear, there are several punctuation and run-on sentence errors, particularly comma splices and missing conjunctions (e.g., 'then it increased slightly to about -0.5% in July and remained constant until September before sloping back to -1% in October after this it went up significantly'). Additionally, missing articles and preposition issues occur, such as 'when it dropped to and 0.7%'. These errors occasionally impede smooth reading, but meaning remains largely transparent, aligning well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

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