Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-23

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 graph here illustrates the comparision between the average monthly change which occured in the cost of three metals that is, copper, nickel and zinc during the year of 2014. Here, the X axis (horizontal line) depicts the month and Y axis (vertical line) displays % change in price compared with previous month. The diagram demonstrates a significant surge in the price of nickel in the beginning of the year and till the month of June the cost of nickel heavily declines but till the end of the year, the price gets stable. Then the mental copper features minor decline in is cost till the month of June but it gets steady growth from the month of July and in the year end, the cost of remains almost same as compared to the year beginning. The last metal is zinc which also verify minor ups and downs in the prices throughout the year and at last, it displays small rise in is price. Only the metal zinc displays minor growth in the month of December as compared to other two metals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three metals and identifies some key trends. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks a clear overview of the main features. For instance, the description of the trends is a bit repetitive and lacks precise data points to support the claims. While the task is addressed, the lack of a distinct overview paragraph and the failure to highlight the most significant differences or similarities between the metals prevents a higher score. The description of the trends is also slightly inaccurate in places, such as the claim that nickel prices remained stable at the end of the year, which is not clearly supported by the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is presented as a single paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. There is a lack of paragraphing, which is essential for a clear structure in IELTS writing. While there are some cohesive devices used, such as 'Then' and 'The last metal', they are used in a somewhat mechanical way. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the overall flow of the report is hindered by the lack of logical segmentation between the introduction, the overview, and the detailed body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'mental copper' (likely a typo for 'metal copper') and 'verify minor ups and downs' (where 'exhibit' or 'show' would be more appropriate). The repetition of words like 'cost' and 'price' suggests a limited range. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and the presence of minor errors in word choice limit the score.

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. Examples include 'comparision' (spelling), 'occured' (spelling), 'in is cost' (incorrect pronoun usage), and 'in the year end' (preposition error). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the meaning is usually conveyed, the frequency of these slips indicates a lack of control over complex structures and basic grammar, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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