Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-06

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 following chart illustrates the average monthly income shift in prices of three metals during 2014.

Overall, a substantial rise is observed in nickel whereas, zinc had a moderate trend which is gradually weakened and a sudden spike is recorded at the end of the year.

In more detail, Zinc had 1% change in price compared to the previous month but a mild increase is spotted reaching 3% in the next month whereas, it had fluctuated moderately for few months but a sudden drop is obvious dropping down to -1% in June. Furthermore, it remained at plateau for the next few months and rebounded strongly reaching upto 2% with the highest record.

On the other hand, copper was the highest as compared to zinc initially but showed a continuous decline until May where it remained constant for a month. Moreover, it raised upwards reaching 1% in July. Further, it remained stagnant with a slow fall and then regained its growth and stood between 1% and 2%.

Nickel had a different pattern being on the top comparatively, with 6% change in price. Additionally, a continued decline is observed reaching 1% in the month of May where it stayed steady for a while and had a negative shift with the lowest change in price reaching -3% followed by a moderate trend which decreased further in October. Eventually, with the dramatic rise in November reaching 1%. Additionally, it remained the same until the end of the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response presents an overview with some good highlights, but it tends to deal with the three metal trends rather mechanically and misses key comparative opportunities between the series. While all three metals are mentioned, some details are underdeveloped or slightly confused, such as misinterpreting the general trajectory of nickel as an overall decline when it actually experienced significant fluctuations starting from a high peak in January. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to ensure that the data points are reported more accurately and that the overview clearly captures the overarching similarities or main overall contrasts rather than just listing isolated monthly movements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, devoting a separate paragraph to each metal alongside an introduction and an overview. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader through the data, although referencing and linking can occasionally feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. To progress further, the progression within paragraphs could be smoothed out by integrating direct comparisons between the metals as they change over the months, rather than treating each line entirely in isolation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'fluctuated moderately', 'stagnant', and 'dramatic rise'. However, there are some awkward word choices and phrasing errors, such as 'average monthly income shift in prices' in the introduction, and occasional imprecise collocations. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the writing from achieving higher precision. To improve, the writer should focus on accurate collocation and precise reporting vocabulary suitable for statistical charts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'zinc had 1% change', 'reaching upto 2%', 'it raised upwards', and missing articles or preposition issues in phrases like 'remained at plateau'. These are typical errors that occur when attempting more complex structures. To move up, the writer needs to increase grammatical accuracy, ensure proper subject-verb and preposition usage, and eliminate frequent minor slips in sentence construction.

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

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