Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-10

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 chart illustrates the common cost of three metals during 2014 per month.

Overall , the price of nickel was at peak amongst the others and at the same time showed the highest fall compared to others.

It is clear from then graph that none of the metals price was steady throughout the year. For instance, the value of copper showed a steady decrease upto May, then it was same until June and again began to rise and fall consequently. The zinc exhibited a dramatic rise in the first two months and then there was gradual fall and rise same as others.

On the other hand, the price was most exaggerated for NIckel. It was highest compared to the previous month at the begining. But suddenly there was a step fall from the price. It tried to maintain its value for a couple of months but failed and further decreased and was lowest in June. Again there was continuous fluctuation and the price increased and stayed close to the other metals in the end.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad pattern: nickel began at a much higher monthly change than the other metals, fell sharply, and later recovered, while copper and zinc also moved from positive to negative changes and back. However, some key details are inaccurate or too vague. Copper did not decrease steadily “upto May”: it fell from 2% in January to about 0.5% in March and April, then became negative in May and June. Zinc’s early rise was not dramatic, and its later movement is not simply a “rise and fall.” The overview also misses the shared mid-year downturn and the metals’ positive figures at year-end. Select and report these comparisons more precisely to develop the summary fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about copper and zinc, then nickel. This gives the reader a general route through the information. Some links, however, are unclear or mechanical: “For instance” introduces several different trends, while “On the other hand” does not establish a clear contrast with the preceding paragraph. References such as “it” and “the price” are sometimes ambiguous because several metals are being discussed. The description also jumps between metals rather than grouping comparable periods or trends. Use clearer topic sentences and explicit references—for example, name the metal in each sentence—and organise the body around the early-year changes, mid-year falls, and year-end recovery.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “decrease,” “rise,” “fall,” “fluctuation,” and “maintain,” so the general meaning is usually understandable. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a graph report: “common cost” is not an appropriate description of the measure, “price was most exaggerated” is unclear, and “step fall” is not a natural collocation. “Dramatic rise” also overstates zinc’s early movement. There are noticeable spelling and form errors, including “begining” and inconsistent capitalisation of “NIckel.” Choose standard trend language and use it precisely, such as “monthly percentage change,” “sharp decline,” and “fluctuated.” This would make the account clearer and more suitably academic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, and most of the main ideas can be followed. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction. For example, “none of the metals price was steady” needs a possessive form and plural agreement (“none of the metals’ prices were steady”), while “the value of copper … then it was same” joins ideas awkwardly and omits an article. In “the zinc exhibited,” the article is unnecessary, and “from then graph” contains an incorrect determiner. Punctuation spacing is also inconsistent, as in “Overall ,” and “June.” Review possessives, articles, and sentence boundaries, and practise combining clauses accurately so that longer sentences remain controlled.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.