Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-09
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 5.0)
The line graph given below illustrates the average monthly variations in the prices compared in percentage of previous month of three different metals in 2014.
Overall, Coper and zinc prices fluctuate a little over the year and comeback to its original price at the end of the year. while, nickel price showed a huge drop over the year.
Copper started from a 2 in january, reached its lowest point in june then remain stable for some months and rising to its original point in the end.While Zinc in the june with 1 level showed a sharp rise in the first month reaching to 3 and falling gradually over the next few months to -1 in june and then reaching to its position in the december from where it started.
Howwver, the nickel showed a shard drop from january startd from 6
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify the three metals and include some relevant figures, such as copper beginning at 2% and nickel at 6% in January. However, the response only partially reports the graph: the nickel description stops mid-sentence, and there is no account of its sharp fall to around -3% in June or its later recovery. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: copper reaches its lowest level in May and June, not June alone, and zinc ends at about 2%, rather than returning to its January level of 1%. The overview also misstates the overall pattern, since nickel does not show a continuous drop across the year. The response is 141 words, below the 150-word minimum. Complete the key trends and check comparisons against the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph with details. The metals are also discussed in a generally understandable order. However, progression is weakened because the final sentence about nickel is unfinished, leaving a major part of the report undeveloped. Connections between ideas are sometimes awkward or unclear, as in “Overall, Coper and zinc … while, nickel,” and “While Zinc in the june…” The overview and detail paragraph also do not consistently support one another. Use complete paragraphs and sentences, and organise the body by clear stages—for example, the first half of the year and the later recovery—while using linking words only where they clarify the relationship between trends.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “fluctuate,” “stable,” “sharp rise” and “falling gradually,” so the reader can recognise the intended subject and some movements. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate, which makes parts difficult to interpret. “Prices compared in percentage of previous month” is not a natural way to describe the measure, and “comeback to its original price” is imprecise because the graph shows monthly percentage changes, not the metals’ actual prices. There are also spelling errors such as “Coper,” “Howwver” and “shard.” Aim for precise chart language such as “monthly percentage change,” “rose to” and “fell to,” and proofread spelling and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “while” and a sequence describing zinc’s movement. However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors frequently interrupt clarity. For example, “Copper started from a 2 … then remain stable” has an incorrect verb form and an incomplete expression of the figure; “Zinc in the june with 1 level showed…” has an unclear sentence structure; and “reaching to its position in the december from where it started” has an unclear reference. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, especially around sentence boundaries. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, use past-tense forms consistently, and check articles, prepositions and punctuation before finishing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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