Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-24
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 illustrates the monthly change in the price of three distinct metals in the year 2014.
Nickel had its highest price in the month of January with 6%. The price of Nickel plunged to 0.5% till May. Next month it had a free fall and reached -3%. Suddenly Nickel soared to -1% in the month of July and got stable till September. It decreased in minor amount till October and skyrocketed to 1% in the month of November and remained constant in December.
Another metal is zinc, its price increased to 3% in February and dip to -1% till the month of June. It again started to increased but reached the same price again in the month of October. After it had a significant increase in its price and reached 2% in the month of December.
Moving forward towards the metal copper. Its had 2% price in January which slumped to 0.5% till June. It again increased to 1% in July and remained the same for 2 coming months. However, it had some fluctuations and at last reached to 1.5% in December.
To pen down, all metals has many variations in its price during the year 2014 but at the end, prices of all metals end up with a positive percentage.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response provides a summary of the main features of the graph, identifying key trends for each metal. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. The student lists monthly changes without effectively grouping or comparing the data points to highlight significant trends or relationships between the metals. While the overview at the end is present, it is quite brief. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on synthesizing the data—for example, noting that all three metals experienced volatility but ended the year with positive growth—rather than simply narrating the graph month-by-month.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with each metal receiving its own section. This structure helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Next month', 'It again started', 'Moving forward towards'). The transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. Additionally, the final paragraph, 'To pen down', is an informal and non-standard way to conclude an academic report; 'In conclusion' or 'Overall' would be more appropriate for this task type.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe trends using terms like 'soared', 'skyrocketed', 'slumped', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'got stable' instead of 'stabilized' and 'in minor amount' instead of 'by a small margin'. The range is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. The repetition of 'price' and 'month' also limits the lexical variety.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('all metals has', 'its had 2% price') and incorrect preposition usage ('in the month of January with 6%'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over complex structures. Improving accuracy in basic verb forms and prepositions would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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