Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-22

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 average monthly change in the price of copper, nickel and zinc during 2014. It also shows percentage change in price compared with previous month.

Overall, it is evident that Nickel was at higher peak in initial month but then decreased significantly in mid year. Meanwhile in Copper smaller changes occurs and in Zinc declined slightly till mid year and then remain stable.

Looking in the details percentage of Nickel was around 6% in January which decreased dramatically to -3% in July and then increased to 1% in last month. Similar trend can be observe in other metal such as Zinc it falls from 2% to negative percentage in mid year after that jumped upto 1% in July and remained stable.

Moreover, Copper was 3% in February then decline up to -1% in July after that no significant changes occur but after the month of October slant jumped around 2% can be observed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three metals and identifies key trends, such as the initial peak of nickel and the general decline of zinc. However, the overview is somewhat vague, and some data points are inaccurate or missing. For instance, stating copper had 'no significant changes' after July ignores the clear fluctuations shown in the graph. The report would benefit from more precise data selection to support the main features, as some descriptions are too general to fully satisfy the requirement for a clear overview of the main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Meanwhile', 'Looking in the details', and 'Moreover', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of the body paragraphs could be improved by grouping information more logically rather than listing data points sequentially. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the reader can follow the writer's intent without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. The writer uses basic descriptive terms like 'decreased', 'increased', and 'jumped'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'at higher peak' (should be 'at a higher peak') and 'slant jumped' (which is an unnatural collocation). To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'plummeted', or 'stabilised', and ensure better control over collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('in mid year' instead of 'in the mid-year') and verb tense/agreement ('smaller changes occurs' instead of 'occurred'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'Similar trend can be observe in other metal'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to limit the score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage is needed.

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

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