Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-24

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 chart compares the difference in the cost of copper, zinc, and nickel on monthly basis in 2014.

Overall, it is evident that the nickel and copper have seen a drop in prices over the year. However, zinc prices rises a little. The nickel has shown a drastic decline in cost which makes it the cheapest lead from the costliest one, whereas copper price is slightly dropped.

Firstly, the cost of nickel has seen a dramatic decline of 9% from january to june, making it the cheapest metal from all others. Over the next months, it remained the cheapest option despite its price rised 4% until december. The copper has seen a gradual fluctuation in cost over the year, and at the end of the year, its closing price is just 0.5% lower than that of january.

Secondly, the price of zinc has seen an increase of 2% in prices in february before its cost plemmeted 4% over the next 4 months. However, its's price again rised 3% in october, ending the year with increased price.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad pattern and include relevant comparisons, especially nickel’s sharp fall and copper’s relatively small movement. However, several details are inaccurate or unclear, which limits how fully the graph is reported. Nickel falls from about 6% in January to -3% in June, a change of roughly nine percentage points, but it does not then rise by 4% “until December”: it recovers to around 1% in November and December. Zinc does not rise overall by 2%; it ends at about 2%, compared with 1% in January, and its fall after February is not a 4% drop. The overview also incorrectly says copper and nickel both fell over the year, although copper ends above its January figure. Report the overall pattern more precisely and support it with accurate key figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs signposted by “Firstly” and “Secondly”. The reader can follow the discussion of nickel and copper before the shift to zinc, and linking words such as “However” help show contrast. This coherent structure is a strength. To make progression more effective, group the metals by shared movement or compare their changes across the same periods, rather than separating the account in a way that leaves some comparisons implicit. Some references are also unclear: “its price” and “its’s price” require the reader to infer which metal is meant, while “the cheapest option” is not a useful comparison for percentage changes. More precise referencing and less formulaic sequencing would make cohesion smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “dramatic decline”, “gradual fluctuation”, “remained” and “ending the year”. These choices help communicate the broad movements. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “difference in the cost” is less precise than describing percentage changes, “cheapest lead” is unclear, and “cost plemmeted” contains a spelling error. “Rised” and “its’s” also show problems with word form or spelling rather than a lack of ideas. Aim for precise chart language and check spelling carefully; use terms such as “monthly percentage change”, “fell”, “recovered” and “finished higher” where they match the data. This would improve accuracy while retaining your useful range of trend vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple and more developed sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “which”, “whereas” and “before”. Most sentences remain understandable, and the paragraph structure supports the message. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In the overview, “zinc prices rises” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “the nickel and copper have seen” uses an unnecessary article with these metal names. “On monthly basis” needs an article, while “its price rised 4%” has an incorrect verb form and an unclear grammatical relationship between the price and the percentage change. There are also tense inconsistencies, such as “its closing price is” amid past-tense reporting. Review agreement, articles, past-tense forms and consistent tense; these corrections would make your varied sentence structures more controlled.

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