Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-13

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 given graph illustrates the change in the value of various metals throughout 2014.

Overall,we can tell that prices of the metals fluctueted throughout the year with nickel experiencing a downward trend,while copper and zinc values experiencing a minimal increase at the end of the period.

Nickel was at its highest point in the begining of 2014 with its price rising upto three folds as compared to the last month,although its price went through a significant drop in the upcoming months of feburary and march(1%). It remained steady for two months experiencing only a slight decrease in the month of may as compared to april before going through another large decrease,as a result nickel price fell by negative 3 percent in june. Nickel price made a slow yet impressive recovery by going up gradually ending the year with a steady 1 percent increase.

On the other hand copper and zinc only fluctuated by a small margin increasing and decreasing by only a few percent every few months,remaining steady throughout the period. However zinc did experience a serious decrease in its price from feburary to june,remaining steady in the second half of the year.Copper however didn't experience any significant increase or decrease making its price the most stable out of all three.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad pattern and make relevant comparisons, especially noting nickel’s sharp fall and copper’s relative stability. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: nickel begins at about 6%, not a threefold rise, and its decline is concentrated from January to June, reaching roughly −3% in June. The claim that zinc had a serious decrease from February to June overstates the change; it falls more gradually before turning negative in June. Your overview also describes nickel as having a downward trend, although it recovers to positive monthly changes by November and December. To strengthen the report, give a more balanced overview of the metals’ contrasting movements and support it with accurate peak, trough, and end-of-year figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate discussion of nickel and the other metals. This makes the main comparison easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “On the other hand,” and “However” help signal shifts, though some transitions are mechanical or connect ideas that are not fully consistent—for example, the overview’s downward-trend description of nickel conflicts with the later account of its recovery. The final paragraph also combines copper and zinc despite their different patterns, and the zinc discussion is brief. Organise the body around the metals’ contrasting trends and use clearer references to the relevant months to improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “fluctuated,” “significant drop,” “remained steady,” and “recovery.” These choices communicate the general movement, but some expressions are imprecise or unnatural for chart reporting. “Rising up to three folds” does not accurately describe the plotted monthly change, while “fell by negative 3 percent” is awkward and confusing. “Serious decrease” is also too strong for zinc’s gradual movement. Spelling errors such as “fluctueted,” “begining,” and “feburary” reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “peaked at,” “fell to,” and “recovered,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “although,” “before,” and “as a result,” and the main meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. For example, “Overall,we” needs a space after the comma, and several long sentences are joined without adequate punctuation, particularly the sentence beginning “It remained steady for two months.” The phrase “copper and zinc values experiencing” is not a complete parallel construction after “with”; a clearer form would be “while the values of copper and zinc experienced…”. There are also inconsistent article and possessive forms in “nickel price.” Break up long sentences and check clause structure, punctuation, and possessives to make the report more controlled.

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