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 provided line graph illustrates the average monthly change in prices of copper, nickel and zinc during 2014.

Overall, nickel experienced most significant fluctuations, started at a very high level, falling sharply into negative proportions and ending at a slightly positive figure.Whereas, copper and zinc had smallest percentages.

Nickel started at approximately 6% in January before falling dramatically to -3% in June, and then ending at a slightly postive figure at around 1% in December.Copper experienced fluctuations,starting at approximately 1% in January, the figure increased gradually to 3% in February before falling dramatically to -1% in June, and stayed stable between july and september ranging between -1% and 0% then the figure rose to reach a peak of 1% in December.Zinc had a very low strating figure at approximately 1% in January then rose significantly to reach a peak of 3% in February, before declining gradually to -1% in June and then reached a peak of 2% in December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and give a relevant overview, correctly noting nickel’s sharp fall from about 6% to negative territory and its slight recovery by December. However, the response only partly covers the graph: the copper account misreports its February value as 3% (it is about 1%) and says it falls to -1% in June, when it is around -0.5%. The overview also overlooks the shared mid-year decline and the metals’ recovery towards year-end. The response is one word below the 150-word minimum; the ten words copied from the task prompt are excluded from the count. To strengthen the report, select the main patterns accurately and compare the series rather than listing each in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the metals. The sequence from January through December is generally easy to follow, and words such as “before” and “then” help show changes over time. However, the main body becomes a long sequence of details, with limited comparison between the metals, so progression is not consistently clear. The overview’s “Whereas” is also attached awkwardly to the preceding sentence, and missing spaces after full stops make boundaries harder to read. Use separate, clearly organised paragraphs for the overview and key comparisons, and connect related trends explicitly—for example, contrast nickel’s larger swings with copper’s relatively modest changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of trend vocabulary, including “falling sharply,” “declining gradually,” “fluctuations,” and “peak,” which makes the general movement understandable. However, some choices are inaccurate or awkward: “negative proportions” is not a natural description of the chart’s negative percentage changes, and “had smallest percentages” is unclear. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “postive” and “strating,” as well as inconsistent capitalisation of month names. These slips reduce precision, particularly in a report where exact trends matter. Aim for accurate, conventional chart language and check spelling carefully; use “percentage change” or “negative figure” where appropriate, and avoid describing a value as a peak unless it is the relevant high point in the series.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex structures to describe changes, especially with clauses beginning “before” and “then,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, sentence control is inconsistent. In the overview, “nickel experienced most significant fluctuations, started…” joins two verb forms without a clear grammatical link; “Whereas” then begins an incomplete contrast. Several sentences run together because spaces are missing after full stops, and the long copper sentence contains multiple changes without clear punctuation. These issues make the report less easy to process. Practise combining clauses with accurate connectors and punctuation—for example, “Nickel began at about 6%, then fell to -3% in June before recovering to around 1% by December.”

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