Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-21

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 line graph compares the avaerage fluctuations in the rates of three metals, Copper, Nickel and Zinc, in the year 2014.

Overall, the price of Nickel underwent major dips despite starting from thehighest rates. On the other hand, the price of Copper showed minor fluctuations; however, Zinc that was initially decreasing, increased its prices in the concluding months.

Sarted at around 6% in the month of January, the price of Nickel dramatically decreased to first 4% in February and the to 1% in March. Showing some stability for one month, it experienced its nadir in July where its prices decreased to around -3%. For the rest of three months, its price remained stable and jumped to 1% again for the last months.

Copper's prices in the starting month was 2% that lowered to less than 0% in March, However, after some fluctuations, it jumped to afgain 1%. After some fluctuations, it reached to around one and half percent in December. On the other hand, Zincs starting point was the lowest and it increased to over two percent

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast between nickel’s high starting point and sharp decline, and copper’s comparatively small movements. The overview also notes zinc’s late rise, which is relevant. However, coverage is uneven: the zinc account stops after saying it rose to “over two percent,” without describing its mid-year fall or late recovery, and some details are inaccurate. Copper falls below zero in May, not March, and nickel’s lowest point is in June, not July; it then rises to -1% and later falls again before returning to positive figures. To strengthen the response, report the main stages for all three metals and check month-by-month comparisons against the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing nickel and the other metals. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” help signal relationships. However, the final paragraph is incomplete, so zinc receives much less attention than the other series and the report does not feel fully balanced. Some linking is also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “After some fluctuations,” while “On the other hand” does not clearly mark a contrast in every instance. Organise the body by comparing the metals’ shared stages—for example, their mid-year falls and late-year recoveries—and use more precise references to months.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing a graph, including “fluctuations,” “dramatically decreased,” “stability,” and “nadir.” These choices show an attempt to use more specific language than basic terms such as “went up” and “went down.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however: “rates” is less suitable than “prices,” “underwent major dips” is unnatural, and “increased its prices” is not the clearest way to describe a percentage change. There are also spelling errors, including “avaerage,” “Sarted,” and “afgain,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for consistent, natural chart language such as “the price fell,” “the monthly change was,” and “recovered to.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview sentence with “despite” and a participle-led description beginning “Showing some stability.” The main meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “Copper’s prices … was 2%” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the to 1%” is missing a word or has faulty sentence construction. The sentence beginning “Copper’s prices … lowered to less than 0% in March, However” also has incorrect punctuation and an inaccurate clause structure. There are some problems with articles, plurals, and tense consistency. Build accuracy by using straightforward patterns such as “The price of copper was…” and checking agreement and punctuation in longer sentences.

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