Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-06

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 line graph illustrates the average monthly change in prices of copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

Overall, nickel shows a dramatic change in its price at initial stage and then price fluctuated over the period . Zinc indicates a minor rise of rate at first and after that went through different increasing and decreasing intervals. However, copper shows a slight fall at beginning and then continued with little alterations.

In 2014, copper rate in January varied from 1% to 3% which is a slight change. Furthermore, it again fell to 1% in May and then again decreased to negative 1% in June which considered as low price then approximately remained same till October and later rose to 1% in November . Nevertheless, nickel at first showed a sudden drop to 1% from 6% .

Moreover it also decreased to negative 3%in June which is extremely low price and then sudden increased to 1% in November. On the other side, zinc generally does not shows any dramatic alteration but it fell its price in May and June and rose in July to 1%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify all three metals and provide an overview, noting that nickel changes most sharply while copper varies less. However, several details are inaccurate or unclear: copper begins at about 2%, not a range of 1% to 3%, and it falls to around -0.5% in May and June rather than reaching -1% in June. Nickel drops to about -3% in June, but the response does not describe its later recovery accurately or cover the final months consistently. The account of zinc is particularly limited: it rises early, falls below zero from June, and recovers in November and December, but these key stages are not fully reported. Select the main turning points and compare the metals more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and a paragraph of details, and it groups information by metal. Some linking expressions, such as “Furthermore,” “Moreover” and “Nevertheless,” help signal relationships. However, progression within the detail paragraph is difficult to follow: the account moves from copper to nickel and then zinc without consistently tracing each series through the year. Several connectors do not express a clear contrast or addition, and the overview repeats broad ideas rather than guiding the reader through the main stages. Organise the details into clearer chronological or metal-by-metal sections, and use transitions only when they accurately show the relationship between points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “fluctuated,” “sudden drop,” “rose” and “negative,” so the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “minor rise of rate,” “little alterations” and “it fell its price.” Repetition of “price” and “change” also makes the description less precise. Choose standard chart language and use it consistently: for example, describe a percentage change as a rise or fall, rather than saying the metal’s price itself reached a “low price.” More accurate collocations would make the report clearer and more suitable for an academic summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses joined with “and then” and “which,” but complex constructions are often not controlled accurately. Examples include “which considered as low price,” where the verb is missing, and “zinc generally does not shows,” where the verb form is incorrect. There are also errors in articles and sentence punctuation, such as the extra space before the full stop in the overview and missing spaces after “-3%” and before some punctuation. These problems sometimes make relationships between ideas harder to follow. Practise accurate present-tense descriptions and check subject–verb agreement, complete clauses and punctuation when editing.

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