Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-14

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 percentage change in prices of three metals(copper, nickel and zinc) compared to previous month in 2014.

Overall, nickel accounted the Highest proportion, zinc represented the Lowest proportion in January. However, in the month of December the 2 metals had reversed. Copper had the fluctuations throughout the year.

On the one hand, In the month of January the metal nickel reported with the Highest percentage 6, zinc with 1% and copper with 2%. After three months nickel had considerable decline to 1%, zinc had with almost 2% and copper had slight fall to around 0%.From April onwards, the figures fluctuated considerably. In April, Zinc recorded the highest increase at 1.5%, followed by Nickel and Copper.

On the other hand, By June, Nickel dropped sharply to -3%. From July to September, Copper remained stable at around 1%, while Nickel and Zinc stayed negative. In October, Nickel fell further to -2%. However, all three metals recovered in November and December, with Zinc reaching the highest figure of approximately 2% in December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern of a sharp fall in nickel and the later recovery, and you include useful comparisons such as nickel’s January peak and its June low. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear. The overview says zinc was the lowest in January, but copper was lower than zinc in December, so the claim that the two metals reversed is not supported. You also describe zinc as the highest in April, although nickel and copper were both about 1% and zinc was around 1.5%; this is correct, but the comparison that follows is confusing. Copper’s modest movements and the metals’ contrasting first-half trends could be summarised more clearly and consistently.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs covering different parts of the year. Time markers such as “In the month of January,” “By June,” and “In October” help the reader follow the sequence. However, the division into “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” does not express a clear contrast between the paragraphs, and some transitions feel mechanical. The overview’s December comparison is also difficult to follow because it refers to “the 2 metals” without clearly identifying them. Grouping the early-year trends together and then describing the shared decline and recovery would create a more logical progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “percentage change,” “considerable decline,” “dropped sharply,” “remained stable,” and “recovered.” These choices communicate the main movements effectively. Some word combinations and descriptions are less natural or precise, however: “nickel accounted the Highest proportion” and “reported with the Highest percentage” are awkward, while “Copper had the fluctuations” is unclear. Capitalisation is also inconsistent, as in “Highest” and “In.” Aim for standard graph-reporting collocations and use “figure,” “rate of change,” or “monthly change” carefully so that the description refers to the percentage change rather than the metal’s price level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “while” and the time clause “After three months.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “nickel accounted the Highest proportion” is missing a required preposition, and “zinc had with almost 2%” has an incorrect verb pattern. The opening also needs spacing and punctuation in “metals(copper,” and several sentences have inconsistent capitalisation after commas. Review articles and prepositions in reporting structures, and check sentence boundaries and punctuation. More consistently accurate complex sentences would make the comparisons easier to read.

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