Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-13

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)

Here thee given line graph illustrates price changes of 3 metals that had been occurred during 2014.

Overall , all metals shows downward trend. However Nickel faced significant decline which started at highest but ended up at lowest and fluctuations whereas copper were stable despite having fluctuations at mid of the year similarly zinc showed initial rose before falling gradually.

To commence with, Copper accounted for 2% changes in January after than it declined to around negative 0.5 in march and remained stable until June before the rose of 1 in July. After than copper remind same till September and rose slightly to 1.5 in December with some decline of 0.5 in November. Moreover, zinc stood at 1% in January and rose to3% in February after which it declined significantly to -1 in June and remained almost same until October before the rose of 2% in December.

Furthermore, Nickel stood at 6% which was highest among and after which it fall to 1% in march and remind stable until April before falling again to -3 in June and rising again to -1 in July with the stability until September and rose again around 1 in November and remained same on December with just slight decline of -2 in October.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview of the trends for the three metals. You successfully identified the main features, such as the downward trend and the significant decline of Nickel. However, the description of the data is sometimes inaccurate or confusing. For instance, stating that Copper 'remind same' or describing the fluctuations in Nickel is difficult to follow because the specific data points are not clearly linked to the months. To improve, ensure that your data reporting is precise and that you avoid vague descriptions. While you covered all parts of the task, the lack of clarity in reporting specific figures prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'To commence with' and 'Furthermore' to signal new sections. However, the flow within paragraphs is often hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. The use of referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track which metal is being discussed at certain points. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'downward trend', 'significant decline', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and incorrect collocations, such as 'initial rose' (should be 'initial rise') and 'remind same' (should be 'remained the same'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally impede the reader's understanding. To move to a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for describing graphs and ensure that you use the correct word forms (e.g., nouns vs. verbs) in your descriptions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'all metals shows'), incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'had been occurred'), and missing articles or prepositions. While these errors do not completely prevent communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. To improve, pay closer attention to basic sentence construction, particularly the use of past tense when describing data from a previous year, and proofread carefully to correct simple errors in verb forms and sentence structure.

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

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