Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-15

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 fluctuation in prices of copper, nickel and zinc for each month during year 2014. Overall, drastic changes in the price of nickel can be observed while there are slight variations in price trend of copper and zinc.

At the start of the year, the rate of the nickel raise by 6% whereas copper and zinc were increased by 2% and 1%, respectively. The cost of nickel drop to 1% in March 2014 and plummeted to -3% in June 2014. The price copper also swiftly decreased to -0.5% approximately in May and remined unchange till June. In the contrast, zinc's cost improved by 2% but it gradually dropped to -1% in June.

The trend of price for all three metals remained stable from July to September 2014. However, October proved to be the month of decline for the metals. After October, prices of nickel and zinc escalated while the copper's rate was static. At the end of the year, a little rise in price of copper and zinc and was no variation in nickel's cost was precived.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You provide a clear overview by contrasting nickel’s marked fluctuations with the smaller changes in copper and zinc, and you cover the main stages of the year. Several figures are accurately selected, including nickel’s 6% rise in January and fall to -3% in June, and copper’s move to around -0.5% in May. Some details, however, are less fully or precisely reported: zinc rose to 3% in February, not 2%, and the July–September period was not entirely stable for all metals, as copper rose to 1% in July and nickel remained at -1%. The claim that October was a decline for all three also overlooks copper and zinc’s relatively small changes. More precise comparisons and a clearer account of the late-year recovery would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the early-year movements, the middle months, and the year-end pattern. Time markers such as “At the start of the year,” “After October,” and “At the end of the year” help the reader follow the sequence. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “In the contrast” does not link the zinc trend naturally to the preceding information, and “The trend of price for all three metals remained stable” groups together movements that differ. The final sentence also combines several end-of-year points in a way that makes the comparison difficult to follow. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each metal’s movement explicitly when trends diverge.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonably varied range for describing movement, including “fluctuation,” “plummeted,” “gradually dropped,” “escalated,” and “static.” These choices help convey the broad pattern, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, however: “the nickel raise” and “the price copper” do not express the intended meaning naturally, while “cost improved” is unsuitable for a price decrease or increase. There are also spelling errors, including “remined” and “precived.” Aim for consistent, accurate terms such as “price rose,” “fell,” “remained unchanged,” and “recovered,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the vocabulary more precise without requiring more elaborate wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “whereas” and a time clause beginning “After October.” The overall meaning is usually clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the rate of the nickel raise” has an incorrect verb form and article pattern, and “the price copper also swiftly decreased” is missing a grammatical link between “price” and “copper.” In “a little rise in price of copper and zinc and was no variation,” the sentence structure is incomplete and the ideas are not joined correctly. There are also tense and agreement problems in phrases such as “were increased.” Review articles, verb forms, and sentence construction, especially when combining two observations in one sentence.

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