Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-04

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 chart below illustrates the average monthly change in the costs of three metals during 2014.

Overall the nickel metal faced the biggest downfall in price than all other metals. The change in the price of nickel starts in january and keeps decreasing rapidly at least the price reached -3% in june and then it take a breath and starts increasing and after growing for six months it reached to 1% in december. Then the copper metal starts from 1% from the first month of the year and starts decreasing until it reached to -1.5% in june and then it started increasing until it reached 1.5% in december.

There remained many up and down in zinc metal, first in only one month it reached to three percent from 1% and starts downfall and reached -1.5% in june, then it again starts increasing and reached to 2% in december.

This is the overall change in prices compared with previous month.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for copper, nickel, and zinc. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the starting and ending points, the description of the trends is repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical overview. The summary of the data is accurate, but the lack of sophisticated comparisons between the metals limits the score. To improve, focus on grouping the data more effectively—for example, by highlighting which metals showed similar patterns or identifying the most significant fluctuations rather than listing each metal's movement chronologically.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is somewhat mechanical. You rely heavily on simple chronological sequencing (e.g., 'starts in january', 'then it take a breath', 'then the copper metal starts'). The use of cohesive devices is limited and repetitive. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect ideas, such as 'In contrast', 'Conversely', or 'Following this period', to create a more logical progression of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'biggest downfall', 'starts decreasing', and 'up and down'. There is some repetition of simple verbs. To achieve a higher score, incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuation', 'decline', 'peak', 'trough', or 'volatility'. Avoid informal phrasing like 'take a breath' when describing statistical data, as this is not appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the copper metal starts', 'it take a breath'), incorrect tense usage (e.g., 'starts' instead of 'started'), and punctuation errors. There are also minor errors in capitalization, such as 'january'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall clarity of the report. Focus on proofreading for tense consistency and subject-verb agreement.

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

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