Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

This graph depicts the average monthly change in the prices of three metals; copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014 as a percentage compared with the previous month. In January, the price of zinc was lowest (+1) as compared to copper(+2) and Nickel, that had the highest starting percentage of (+6). In February, the prices of nickel and copper dropped by 2 percent and 1 percent respectively, however there was an increase in the percentage of zinc by 2 percent. a decline in percentages was seen for all metals in March whereas in April, the percentage remained consistent for copper and nickel but a decline is seen for zinc. A gradual decline is seen for all metals in may followed by a shard decline in June. A rise in percentages is noticed from June till July followed by no change in percentages till September. A minor decline is seen September onwards for all metals followed by a significant rise in percentages for nickel and zinc from October till November whereas the percentage of copper did not rise as significantly. a minor increase was seen from November till December for copper and zinc unlike for nickel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the subject and report several relevant movements, including nickel’s high January figure, the general fall around June, and the late-year recovery in nickel and zinc. However, the account only partly captures the main features and contains important inaccuracies. For example, March was not a decline for all three metals: copper and nickel fell, but zinc rose from February. The claim that all metals declined gradually in May is also inaccurate, since copper and nickel fell while zinc continued to decrease from April, and the June-to-July rise does not apply to every series in the same way. There is no clear overview of the metals’ contrasting overall patterns. State the key trends first, then support them with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows the months in chronological order, which gives the reader a basic route through the data, and phrases such as “In February” and “whereas” help signal comparisons. However, it is presented as one long paragraph, with no distinct overview or grouping of the main trends. The repeated sequence of “a decline,” “a rise,” and “a minor increase” makes the progression feel like a list rather than a clearly organised summary. Some links also create confusing relationships: “A gradual decline is seen for all metals in May followed by a shard decline in June” combines different movements without clarifying which metal changed in which direction. Use an overview paragraph followed by grouped comparisons, and make each transition accurately connect the relevant series.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “percentage,” “decline,” “remained consistent,” and “significant rise,” so the general meaning is usually clear. There are also attempts to vary descriptions rather than relying only on “increase” and “decrease.” However, some choices are imprecise or repetitive: “prices … dropped by 2 percent” can be confused with the actual percentage change shown, and “no change in percentages” is not a precise description of the monthly figures. “Shard decline” appears to be a spelling error, while “percentages” is repeatedly used where “monthly changes” or “figures” would be more natural. Choose vocabulary that distinguishes a change in price from the percentage change, and check spelling and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including comparisons with “whereas” and “unlike,” and most of the data remains understandable. However, sentence control is uneven, particularly in the long sequence of clauses joined by “followed by.” For example, “A rise in percentages is noticed from June till July followed by no change in percentages till September” would be clearer if divided and given explicit subjects. There are also punctuation and capitalisation problems: “a decline” begins a new sentence after a full stop but is lowercase, and the opening list uses a semicolon where a colon would be more suitable. Some article and comparison patterns are awkward, as in “as compared to copper(+2) and Nickel.” Use shorter, controlled sentences and proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation.

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