Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The line graph illustartes the average monthly change in the prices if three metals (Copper, nickel and zinc) in 2014.

Overall, The prices of three metals had a fluctuation throught the year, The nickel was the highest in the beginning of the year and became the lowest at the end, Whereas zinc figure started from the lowest in january and overtook the first place in 2% in december.

In detail, Nickel started from the highest point 6% and increased significantly to 1% after 2months, It remaind a stable between march and april before it fell to the lowest point -4 in june.

Zinc started from 1% in the first month and rose to 3% after month then decreased slightly to -1 until june, On the other hand The copper had a fluctuation.

Between june and september , The three metals plateaued and remained a stable then a small drop in october before they rose again in the end of the year, The zinc ended in 2%, The copper about 1,5% and nickel 1% which is the small change compared to the bigeninng.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main overall movement and include several relevant figures, such as nickel’s high starting point of 6% and the metals’ end-of-year values. However, the account only partially covers the graph: copper receives almost no detailed description, and the overview contains inaccurate comparisons. Zinc did not start at the lowest point, since copper began at 2% while zinc was at 1%; nor did zinc finish highest, as it ended at 2%, above copper at about 1.5% and nickel at 1%. Nickel’s June low is also given as -4%, whereas the graph shows approximately -3%. Develop the overview around the metals’ contrasting fluctuations and report the key turning points more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details, and it uses some linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In detail,” and “On the other hand.” These help signal the purpose of each section. However, progression is uneven: copper is mentioned only briefly, and the final paragraph combines several periods and comparisons without clearly separating the trends. Some connections are also unclear, particularly “Between June and September, the three metals plateaued,” which does not accurately summarise their different movements. Organise the body by comparing the metals’ early-year changes and their later recovery, and use shorter, clearer sentences to make each comparison easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant graph vocabulary, including “fluctuation,” “increased,” “fell,” “stable,” and “ended,” so the reader can generally understand the trends you intend to describe. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “overtook the first place,” “plateaued,” and “a small drop … before they rose again,” which do not precisely describe the data. Spelling errors, including “illustartes,” “remaind,” and “bigeninng,” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Aim for precise trend language and check spelling carefully. For example, use “reached the highest figure” for a peak and “remained relatively stable” only where the line actually levels off.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “before,” “whereas,” and “which.” However, errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include “The prices … had a fluctuation,” “The nickel was the highest,” and “It remained a stable,” where article use and sentence structure are faulty. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent: several sentences begin with lowercase month names or continue after commas with capitalised “The,” and some clauses are joined with commas rather than full stops. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and basic sentence patterns, then build complexity with controlled comparisons such as “While nickel fell, zinc rose.”

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

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