Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-01

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 grapg illustrates the average monthly expenditure of copper,zinc and nickel over the period of 2014.

Overall,prices of nickel sharply decrease oner the whole months,while the expenditure of zinc were slowly increased.

In detail,the prices of copper started at about 2% in Janurary and then fell sharply in the month of June at about -1.After that,the rate of copper slowly increase at about 1% and remained same in the month of September and ended at about 1.5% in the last month.In contrast,the price of zinc started from 1% and then rose significantly at about 3% in the month of Feburary and then decreased sharply at about -1 in the month of October.After that,the exprnditure of zinc jumped dramatically at about 1.5% and then reached at about 2% in the end of the month.

Regarding nickel,the prices of nickel was started at about 6% which was the highest prices among all and then drop sharply at about -3 in June and then slowly increased at about -1 in july and the reamine constant in the next three months.After that,it sharply rose at about 1% in November and then remained constant at the end of month.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover all three metals and include a clear overall comparison: nickel falls markedly, while copper and zinc recover towards the end. Several key figures are reported accurately, including nickel’s opening peak of about 6% and its June low of around -3%, as well as zinc’s February rise to about 3%. However, the overview is not fully accurate: nickel does not decrease throughout the year, since it rises in November and remains positive in December; zinc also fluctuates rather than increasing steadily. Some details are misreported: copper falls to about -0.5% in May and June, not -1% in June, and zinc reaches about -1% in October, not -1% after a sharp decline from February. A more precise overview and clearer account of the mid-year changes would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about copper and zinc, followed by nickel. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the information, and phrases such as “In contrast” and “Regarding nickel” help signal comparisons and topic shifts. The organisation is not yet fully smooth, however: the copper and zinc descriptions are combined in one long paragraph, while nickel is separated, and repeated “and then” links make the sequence feel mechanical. Some references are also unclear, such as “the end of the month,” which could mean December or the end of a particular period. Grouping the metals by shared trends and varying linking devices would improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “started at,” “rose,” “fell,” “remained constant,” and “highest,” so the main movements are usually understandable. There is also some attempt to vary descriptions with “sharply,” “slowly,” and “dramatically.” However, several word choices are inaccurate for a graph of price changes: “expenditure” refers to spending, not prices, and “the expenditure of zinc were slowly increased” is both imprecise and awkward. Spelling errors such as “grapg,” “Janurary,” “Feburary,” and “exprnditure” also reduce control. Use precise terms such as “monthly price change” and “percentage change,” and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including longer sentences that compare movements across several months, and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with verb forms, agreement, and articles. For example, “the prices of nickel was started” should be “the price of nickel started,” while “the expenditure of zinc were slowly increased” has both agreement and passive-form problems. In “the rate of copper slowly increase,” the verb should be past tense (“increased”), and “the reamine constant” needs a correctly formed past-tense verb. Commas are often missing after introductory phrases, and spaces after commas are inconsistent. Aim for accurate past-tense clauses and shorter sentences when describing several data points.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.