Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-16

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 statistic graph illustrate the minimum monthly changes in the price of metals, zinc, nickel in 2014. First,nickel start from January at 3% and it end to 6%.Copper starts from 2% in January and ends at approximately 1.8%.The start was good, but in march the price of copper were approximately 0.8%.Zinc in January at 1% and in February zinc touch 3% and in december zinc at around 2%. At the beginning of the year , nickel recorded the highest increase at around 6% in January, before drooping sharply at 1% in March. It then continue decline at almost -1% in june. Copper started at around at 2% in January and showed a slight downward trend, falling to at nearly 0% by May.Moreover, in June still in negative,but in the end close again to 1% in december. In conclusion, nickel was the most volatile metal,whereas copper showed the least variation over the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for copper, nickel, and zinc. However, the report is somewhat disjointed and lacks a clear overview of the overall trends. While the key data points are mentioned, the description of the fluctuations is occasionally confusing, such as the contradictory statements regarding nickel's starting and ending points. The summary would benefit from a more cohesive synthesis of the data rather than listing individual points. The attempt to compare the metals is present, but it lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often mechanical and repetitive. The use of cohesive devices is limited, with simple transitions like 'First' and 'In conclusion' being used. There are issues with referencing; for example, the transition between the initial description and the later analysis of trends is abrupt. The paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks logical progression, making it difficult for the reader to follow the development of the trends over the year.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'statistic graph' instead of 'line graph' and 'drooping sharply' instead of 'dropping sharply'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying heavily on basic verbs like 'start', 'end', and 'showed'. To improve, the student should incorporate more precise terminology related to data trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a downward trend'. Spelling errors, such as 'continue decline' instead of 'continued to decline', also impact the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the price of copper were', 'nickel start') and tense consistency. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences often contain errors, such as 'In June still in negative, but in the end close again to 1%'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. A greater focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for verb tense and agreement is necessary to improve this score.

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