Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-14

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 line graph illustrates the monthly prices changes of three metals copper,nickel and zinc in the year of 2014.

overall,nickel is the metal which prices is peak at in the starting month of year,it is the metal which prices is flactuate during one year.moreover, its prices is more high campare then the other ones.while copper prices is very low in one year,at the beging of year its prices is 2% of change after that trend is down ward.

In the beging of year,copper prices is only 2% changes then the previous month.After that, this trend is down ward and in April is only half of the zero percent is change.While the prices of Nickel is peak at with 6% , which is far more then the other two metals.Furthermore,the zinc prices is also increase up campre to copper.In the middle of year,the sudden change is come in the prices of copper,which is slightly increase up with 1% thistrend is consistantly same in three month,while the prices of nickel and zinc is decrease in this period with high rissue.During this period, nickel prices reach the bottom out at -3% change,while the prices of zinc is also decrase down at -1%.This change is the record change in one year.After this, the zinc and nickel prices is increase up repectively,but still less then the copper.At the end of year, zinc prices is close at bottom with 1% change,while the prices of copper is middle and zinc prices is peak at with 2% campre the other metals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the three metals and include relevant headline features, especially nickel’s high starting point and its sharp fall to about −3% in June. You also note that copper changes less dramatically and that zinc and nickel recover towards the end. However, several comparisons and details are unclear or inaccurate: copper does not rise in the middle of the year, but moves from −0.5% to around 1% in July; zinc finishes at about 2%, while copper ends near 1.5%, not with zinc “close at bottom.” The overview also says copper is “very low” without clearly summarising the overall pattern. To strengthen the response, give a concise, accurate overview and select key turning points and end-of-year figures rather than making vague claims such as “less than the copper.”

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable introduction, overview and chronological account, and phrases such as “In the middle of year” and “After this” help signal time. However, progression is not consistently clear because the account shifts between metals and periods without a stable comparison structure. The overview is difficult to follow, and the final sentence is especially confusing: it says zinc is “close at bottom” and then that zinc is “peak at with 2%.” Linking words such as “moreover,” “while” and “furthermore” are used repeatedly, sometimes joining ideas whose relationship is unclear. Organise the body into clear stages—early year, mid-year decline and recovery—and compare all three metals within each stage. Clearer sentence boundaries and references would also improve flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt vocabulary suited to describing a graph, including “fluctuate,” “reach the bottom” and “increase,” and you use percentage language throughout. However, the range is limited and many word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to interpret. Examples include “prices is peak at,” “high rissue,” “close at bottom” and “record change”; these do not express the intended trends naturally. Spelling errors such as “flactuate,” “beging,” “campare” and “repectively” are also noticeable. Build a reliable set of graph-description phrases and check spelling and word forms. Prefer precise verbs such as “rose,” “fell,” “recovered” and “remained stable,” with the relevant metal and percentage clearly stated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use time clauses, for example, “After this, the zinc and nickel prices is increase up…” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles and sentence construction occur frequently. Examples include “nickel is the metal which prices is,” “the prices of Nickel is peak at,” and “the sudden change is come.” These patterns make several comparisons hard to understand. Punctuation and capitalisation are also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and lower-case “overall” at the start of a sentence. Practise accurate simple comparison sentences first, then combine them using clauses such as “while” or “whereas.” Check subject–verb agreement and use past-tense verbs consistently when describing the 2014 data.

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