Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-05

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 5.5)

The graph below illustrates the average monthly change in the prices of three metals during 2014. The metals which prices are recorded are copper, nickel and zinc.

The graph shows a monthly change in price, and a analysis can be done by observing the percentage change in price of a metal compared with its price in previous month.

The metal that showed a significant decline in its price during mid of the year is Nickel. Its price was highest in the start of the year and gradually dropped down in the june, 2014. At end of the year, it was also the lowest price metal compared with the price of other two metals. Copper showed the most consistent pattern, with the little flunctuations in the change of the price during the year.

The metal with the highest price at the end of the year was Zinc. In first two months, it showed a raise in the price, but then its price gradually decrease till june 2014, then remain consistent for few months and showed a raise during the end of the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and report several relevant patterns, including nickel’s sharp mid-year fall and copper’s comparatively small fluctuations. However, the response only partially selects and reports the graph’s main features. The claim that nickel was “the lowest price metal” at year-end is inaccurate: the graph shows monthly percentage changes, and nickel and copper both finish at about 1%, below zinc at about 2%. The description of zinc also says it “gradually decrease[s] till June,” although its change falls from 3% in February to around -1% in June, with some variation. There is no clear overview of the overall pattern across all three metals. Focus on percentage changes, give a concise overview, and support it with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, followed by comments on nickel and copper, and then zinc. This gives the reader a basic sense of organisation, and phrases such as “At end of the year” and “In first two months” help locate information in time. However, the first two paragraphs repeat the task’s framing rather than establishing a clear overview, and the body does not consistently compare the metals at the same stages. Some references are also unclear: “it was also the lowest price metal” could refer to nickel’s price rather than its monthly percentage change. Group the information into an overview and focused comparisons, using time markers and clear references to each metal.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “decline,” “gradually dropped,” “consistent pattern,” and “fluctuations.” These choices show an attempt to vary the language beyond simply listing figures. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “highest price” when discussing percentage change, “showed a raise,” and “little fluctuations.” The spelling error “flunctuations” also affects accuracy. Use precise terms for the measure shown: describe a percentage change as rising, falling, or reaching a low, rather than describing the metal’s price as the highest or lowest. More accurate trend vocabulary would make the comparisons clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including a relative clause in “The metal that showed a significant decline…” and a sequence of events joined with “but then.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur in basic sentence patterns and verb forms. For example, “The metals which prices are recorded” needs a possessive form (“whose prices”), while “a analysis” has an article error. In “its price gradually decrease” and “then remain consistent,” the verbs do not agree with the past-time account; use “decreased” and “remained.” Missing articles in phrases such as “At end of the year” also reduce accuracy. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and article use while retaining varied sentence structures.

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