Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-31

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 illustrates the average monthly fluctuations in the prices of three metals in 2014.

Overall, copper and nickel shows downward trend with some fluctuations throughout the period while zinc experienced growth after some fluctuations. The data has been calculated into percentage.

It can be seen that there was a sharp decrease in the value of nickel from 6% in january to -3% in june and rose to -1% in july and remained stable till the september then declined to -2% in october and ended up at 1% in december.

The value of zinc was noted at 1% in starting of the month and inclined to 3% in february then experienced dramatically decrease and stood at -1% and after zig-zag trend it finally valued at 2% in the last month.

The copper was valued at 2% in january and declined to near about -0.5% in june and then this figure increased to 1% in july and remained stable till september and ended up at approximately 1.5%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main movements and include useful figures, especially nickel’s fall from 6% in January to -3% in June and its recovery by December. The account also captures zinc’s rise early in the year and its later recovery, as well as copper’s relatively modest changes. However, the overview is not fully accurate: copper did not show an overall downward trend, ending above its January level, and zinc’s pattern is described too generally. Some details are also incomplete, such as nickel’s December value of 1% and copper’s final rise to 1.5%. A clearer overview contrasting nickel’s large swings with copper’s comparatively stable pattern would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing each metal. This makes the information easy to follow, and time markers such as “in June,” “in July,” and “in October” help establish chronology. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, because each detail is linked mainly through repeated “then” constructions. The overview also groups copper and nickel together despite their different overall patterns, which weakens the progression of the comparison. Use more varied links and explicit contrasts—for example, explain that nickel fluctuated sharply while copper remained within a narrower range. Clearer references and a more accurate overview would strengthen the organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “sharp decrease,” “remained stable,” “declined,” and “zig-zag trend.” These choices generally communicate the graph’s movements, and the response is understandable throughout. Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural for a data report, such as “inclined to 3%,” “valued at,” and “in starting of the month.” “Experienced growth” is also too broad when describing a series that falls below zero before recovering. Aim for more precise collocations such as “rose to,” “stood at,” and “recovered to.” Check spelling and capitalisation of month names, including “January” and “February,” to improve accuracy and presentation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and most of the trends remain understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly in subject–verb agreement: “copper and nickel shows” should be “copper and nickel show.” There are also problems with articles and sentence construction, as in “in starting of the month,” and the final sentence lacks a clear full stop. The phrase “remained stable till the September” uses an unnecessary article, while “the data has been calculated into percentage” is awkwardly formed. Practise checking agreement, articles, and complete sentence boundaries. More consistently accurate control of these structures would make the report smoother while preserving its useful range of sentence forms.

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