Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-04

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 illustrate the average percentage change in price of three different metals in 2014.

Overall, the price of metals fluctuated significantly over the year with the most change in price of nickel with the least change in the price of zinc as compared to other metals. All three metals reached their lowest percentage in the month of june. All the metals price did not budge for the entirety of three months from july to september.

At the start of year in the month of january, the price of nikel was 6% higher than that of the last month then it nose dived to negative 3% in june wit no change in the month of march to april. The price of nikel then rose a bit from june to july with a change of -1% then remained unchanged for 2 months, then it reduced a little to -2% in the month of octuber. The price rose quite a lot in the month of november positive 1% then stayed the same for the month of december.

If we look at the price of zinc, it increased from 1% to 3% in feburary then it kept on decreasing, eventually reaching -1% in the month of june then it increase just .5% and stayed at that price till the month of septemer. Price of zinc decreased again just .5% reaching at the percentage of -1% in the month of octuber and then it climbed up to 2% at the end of december.

There was not major difference between the percentage of price copper in the month of january and december. The price of copper decreased to 0.5% from where it started and remained there at the end of april. The price then decreased again reaching the lowest point in the month of may and remained at that point in the month of june too. It then increased to 1% change in price and remained their till the end of september. Copper price then declined a bit and then eventualy rose to 1.5% at the end of december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover all three metals and provide an overview identifying nickel as the most volatile, with zinc generally less variable. Several key figures and trends are reported accurately, including nickel’s fall to −3% in June and zinc’s rise to 2% by December. However, the overview contains important inaccuracies: the metals did not all reach their lowest point in June, since nickel reached a lower figure in October, and their movements from July to September were not all unchanged. Copper was steady, but nickel and zinc changed across this period. Some details are also unclear, such as the claim that nickel had “no change” from March to April. Prioritise a precise overview and check comparisons against the graph before describing individual months.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by separate paragraphs for nickel, zinc and copper. This makes the three series easy to locate, and sequencing phrases such as “At the start of year,” “then,” and “at the end of December” help show chronology. The organisation is coherent, though the overview’s inaccurate generalisations weaken the progression of the report. Within the detail paragraphs, repeated “then” constructions make the account somewhat mechanical, and some references are imprecise—for example, “it” in the nickel paragraph can require the reader to infer whether the subject is the price or the metal. Use more varied linking and clearer references while retaining the useful paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing movement, including “nose dived,” “remained unchanged,” “declined,” and “climbed up.” These choices generally make the trends understandable, but several are too informal or imprecise for an academic report: “did not budge,” “rose quite a lot,” and “a bit” would be better replaced with neutral, measurable descriptions. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “nikel,” “octuber,” “feburary,” and “eventualy,” alongside awkward combinations such as “reaching at the percentage.” Aim for consistent formal wording and accurate spelling, and use the graph’s percentage changes rather than describing the metals’ prices as if reporting their absolute levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including time clauses and sequences joined with “then,” and the main meaning is usually clear. Some grammatical errors remain, however. The opening should be “The line chart illustrates,” and “All three metals reached” needs a plural verb; “All the metals price did not budge” also has faulty agreement and sentence construction. Other examples include “the price of nikel was 6% higher … then it nose dived” and “it increase just .5%,” where verb forms or sentence boundaries need attention. Articles and prepositions are also sometimes missing or awkward, as in “At the start of year” and “reaching at.” Check subject–verb agreement and past-tense consistency, and proofread sentence structure.

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