Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-22

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 average percentage change in the rate of three metals (copper, nickel and zinc) per month in 2014.

Overall, percentage change in price of nickel felt over the period in compared to copper and zinc which remained almost the same with just a marginal change. Nickel accouted the highest value in January while by the end of year, zinc overtook and became pricey metal.

Nickel fluctuated the most with the maximum rate of change in january at 6% and lowest in june with -3% overally. Subsequently the change in percentage recovered to 1% by the end. Furthermore, change in amount of copper dropped gradually from january to may from 2% to about -0.5% which then remained same till june and rose to about 1.5% by december by fluctating slightly in between.

In regard to zinc the change in rate percent peaked during the first half at 3% in feburary from 1%, before dropping to -1% by july. After july the price went up slightly from july to september and again declied to -1% in october. From this point, the value climbed to 2% change by the end of the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons. The overview captures the general trends, noting that nickel experienced significant fluctuations while copper and zinc remained relatively stable, although the statement about zinc becoming the 'pricey metal' is slightly inaccurate since the graph shows percentage change rather than absolute price. Key data points are accurately reported, such as nickel starting at 6% in January and dropping to -3% in June, and copper's gradual decline to -0.5%. The figures align well with the visual data provided. The response is well-structured and covers all three metal series across the specified timeframe, meeting all requirements for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, followed by an overview paragraph, and then detailed body paragraphs discussing individual metal trends. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction/overview from the body details. Cohesive devices are employed adequately (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'In regard to', 'After july'), although referencing is occasionally a bit mechanical or repetitive. Overall, the flow of information is clear and easy to follow, supporting a coherent reading experience throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, attempting less common items such as 'fluctuated', 'gradually', 'peaked', and 'declined'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('accouted', 'overally', 'feburary', 'declied') and occasional awkward word choices or phrasing (e.g., 'pricey metal' instead of highest rate of change, 'change in amount of copper'). While these lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips do not impede overall communication, they prevent the score from reaching a higher band. A bit more precision in terminology would enhance the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable attempt at subordination and relative clauses (e.g., 'which then remained same till june and rose to about 1.5% by december by fluctating slightly in between'). However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors, including missing capitalization (e.g., 'january', 'june', 'feburary'), preposition errors ('in compared to', 'at 6% in january'), and awkward structural phrasing. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur regularly throughout the text, placing the performance firmly within the Band 6 descriptor range.

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

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