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 graph illustrates the mean monthly shifts in the prices of three metals in 2014.

Overall,Nickel started the highest proportion in January,zinc start lowest but particularly zinc hold his first place end of december.copper has small changes their prices.

Nickel start with the highest proportion 6% in January yet they fall after January decreased evey months ar last stoped in june they go to accounted for (-3)%that is the lower value in thre metals after the june some months are increase and again fall -2 % at last nikel rose considarbly after October.

At the other hand Copper and zinc they start merally.Zinc start with Propotion 1% very substantially their market value some times high and some times low but they hold their labels zinc at last of the years their percentage was highest 2%. Copper start with 2% in January copper also hold market value and last of thr months they increased rose few months

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast that nickel began at the highest level and experienced the sharpest fall, and you mention that copper changed relatively little. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear: zinc did not remain highest at the end; nickel and zinc both finished at about 1–2%, with zinc around 2% and copper around 1.5%. The account also says nickel fell in every month until June, although it levelled off around April–May, and its later movement is not clearly described. The overview is present but does not accurately summarise the metals’ overall patterns. To strengthen the response, compare the three series more precisely and report the major turning points, especially the mid-year declines and late-year recoveries.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate discussion of nickel and the other metals. This gives the reader some sense of organisation, and phrases such as “after October” help indicate time. However, progression within paragraphs is often difficult to follow because ideas are joined in long, loosely connected sequences, as in “some months are increase and again fall.” The overview also contains several claims without clear links, while “At the other hand” does not establish a clear comparison. Use one paragraph for the overview and organise the details chronologically or by contrasting metals. Shorter sentences and accurate linking expressions would make the relationships between changes clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “monthly shifts,” “prices,” “percentage,” “fall,” and “increased,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning difficult to interpret. For example, “started the highest proportion,” “hold their labels,” and “hold market value” do not clearly describe price changes; “proportion” is also not the right term for a percentage change. Spelling errors such as “evey,” “thre,” “considarbly,” and “merally” further reduce clarity. Build a small set of accurate graph-description phrases—such as “rose to,” “fell to,” “remained stable,” and “recovered”—and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There are attempts to describe change over time and to use longer sentences, but the grammatical range is limited and errors are frequent enough to make several statements hard to follow. Verb forms and agreement are often inaccurate: “Nickel start,” “zinc start lowest,” and “they fall after January decreased” need consistent past-tense forms and clearer sentence structure. Articles and sentence boundaries are also problematic, as in “at last stoped in june they go to accounted for.” Punctuation is inconsistent, including missing spaces after commas and unclear sentence endings. Practise forming accurate past-tense sentences first, then combine them with simple contrast or time clauses; this will help you express the trends without losing control of the grammar.

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