Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 of change in prices of the copper, nickel and zinc metals on every month in 2014.

Overall, there are fluctuations in prices of three metals. Copper was the only metal which has almost similar price in January and December.

Looking at the detail, in January nickel recorded the highest proportion in the figure at 6% price change with previous month, while copper and zinc stood at 2% and 1% respectively. In February only zinc price got hiked to 3%, but copper and nickel got declined to 1% and 4%. From March to April the prices of the three metals got stable with minimal fluctuations.

In June, the prices of all the metals got dropped nickel at -3%, zinc at -1% and copper at -0.5%. However, from July to September was the recovery period with stable prices, copper at 1%, nickel at -1% and zinc at 0.5%. By the end of the period, the prices got increased to nickel at 1%, copper at 1.5% and zinc at 2% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the graph’s subject and provide an overview, noting fluctuations and that copper ended at a level broadly similar to its January figure. You also select useful comparisons, such as nickel’s high January change and the metals’ negative figures in June. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: copper and zinc did not all fall in June (their lowest points were in May and June respectively), and from July to September zinc was around -0.5%, not +0.5%. The overview also misses the main contrast that nickel fluctuated most, while copper changed least. More accurate reporting of the turning points and a clearer summary of the overall patterns would make the response more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the data in sequence. Phrases such as “Overall,” “Looking at the detail,” and “By the end of the period” help signal the stages of the report. The chronological progression is generally easy to follow, although the grouping of March and April as stable does not lead smoothly into the later changes, and the sentence beginning “However, from July to September” is awkwardly constructed. Some links between comparisons are also mechanical, particularly repeated use of “while” and “but.” Grouping the metals by their patterns, or using clearer time transitions, would strengthen the progression and make the comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary for describing a line graph, including “fluctuations,” “recorded,” “stood at,” and “recovery period.” These choices help communicate the main movements, and the meaning is generally clear. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for this task: “on every month,” “got hiked,” “got declined,” and “prices got dropped” do not collocate naturally with price changes. “Proportion in the figure” is also unclear when referring to a percentage change. Aim for precise graph language such as “rose,” “fell,” “remained stable,” and “monthly percentage change.” This would improve naturalness and accuracy while retaining the useful range already shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple sentences and more complex forms, including a relative clause in “the only metal which has almost similar price” and a time clause beginning “By the end of the period.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “there are fluctuations” shifts unnecessarily to the present tense, while “was the recovery period” lacks a clear subject construction in its sentence. The phrase “copper and zinc stood at 2% and 1% respectively” is grammatically possible but would be clearer with a parallel structure naming each metal. Check tense consistency when describing past data, and review articles, sentence structure, and punctuation around comparisons. More consistently controlled complex sentences would improve accuracy.

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