Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 provided line graph illustrates the average monthly change in the prices of three different metals in 2014. Overall, it is obvious that nickel price is consider the most changing among the others. As it starts with its highest price but this price was dropped to its lowest value in the half of the year.

Firstly, copper price change was 2% in January and contiued in dropping until reach under 0 in June, then its price was jumpped again to reach 1% in july to Septemper, before it fell again to around 0.5%, and eventually it rose to 1.5% in Decemper. while nickel has fluctuated over the year. Where its change of price was 6% in January, then it declined to 1% in March, and it dropped to its lowest value in June, then it rose again to -1 in July to Septemper, before it fell to -2 in Octobrt, and in the last two monthes it increased to 1%.

Zinc price change was 1% in January, and increased to 3% in Febrauary, then it declined to its lowest value in June, then it slightly rose to 0.5 in July, before it dropped again to -1 in October, and finally it jumpped to 2% in Decemper.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that nickel fluctuated most, beginning at its peak and reaching its lowest point around mid-year, and you cover all three metals with relevant figures. However, the overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the shared pattern: all three metals fell into negative monthly changes around June and recovered towards the end of the year. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: copper was below zero in both May and June, not only by June; nickel reached about −3% in June, then was around −1% from July to September; and zinc was about −0.5% in July, rather than positive 0.5%. A clearer overview and more precise reporting of key turning points would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by separate paragraphs for copper and nickel, then zinc. This makes the three series easy to locate, and sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “then,” “before,” and “finally” help show changes over time. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, because many details are linked through repeated “then” clauses. The sentence beginning “Where its change of price was 6%” is also an incomplete continuation, and “while” after the copper description is incorrectly separated as a new sentence. Grouping the metals’ shared mid-year decline and late recovery in the overview, then using clearer sentence boundaries, would improve progression and connections between details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of trend vocabulary, including “declined,” “fluctuated,” “rose,” and “lowest value,” so the reader can generally understand the changes being described. However, several word choices and collocations are awkward, such as “nickel price is consider the most changing,” “its price was jumpped,” and “continued in dropping.” Spelling errors—including “contiued,” “Septemper,” and “Decemper”—are noticeable and reduce the accuracy of the report. Also, “price” is sometimes used where “monthly change” or “percentage change” would be more precise, since the graph reports changes rather than actual metal prices. Aim for accurate trend phrases and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including sequences with “before” and “then,” but control is uneven. Errors occur in verb forms and agreement, for example “nickel price is consider” and “its price was jumpped,” and in sentence construction: “Where its change of price was 6% in January” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence. The long copper and nickel sentences also join several changes with commas, making the structure difficult to follow. Articles and number forms are sometimes missing or inconsistent, as in “in the last two monthes.” Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use full stops to separate major stages; this will make your range of structures more accurate and readable.

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