Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-26
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 depicts the information about three distinct metals along with change in the average monthly costs in the year 2014.
Overall, it is vivid that, the graph describes three different metals, copper, nickel and zinc, and their average monthly changes in the price. Average monthly cost of nickle had the most dramatic changes, followed by zinc price, whereas, copper price had only minimal changes.
In the first six months, prices of all three metals had gone under a significant change, nickel had the highest price in January being at 6% in total, however, it dropped to -3 percent by June. Zinc prices had shoot up in the second month but decreased after that and in June it was at-1, whereas, copper cost had been declining from the first month, by the sixth moth it dropped below 0.
Furthermore, in the last six months, prices of all metals, copper, nickel, and zinc had staggered at 1,-1 and -0.5 percent respectively from July to September. After that, prices of every three metals slightly decreased, but, nickel and zinc cost again rose in October, while, Copper cost had no change.
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 general overview and attempts to highlight key trends for the three metals. However, the reporting of data is often inaccurate or vague. For instance, stating nickel was at 6% in January is not supported by the graph, and the description of trends in the second half of the year is confusing and lacks precision. While the main features are identified, the lack of clear, accurate data points and the misinterpretation of some figures prevent a higher score. The summary is present, but the selection of information is not consistently relevant or accurate.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the first six months', and 'Furthermore'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression is hindered by the confusing description of the data. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the two time periods could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task, but the internal cohesion within the paragraphs needs more careful management to ensure ideas connect logically.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are some spelling errors, such as 'nickle' instead of 'nickel' and 'moth' instead of 'month'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'dramatic changes' and 'minimal changes'. While the meaning is generally clear, the student struggles to use more sophisticated terminology to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stable'. Greater variety and more accurate word choice would improve the quality of the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('prices of all three metals had gone under a significant change') and punctuation, such as the unnecessary comma after 'vivid that'. There are also awkward phrasings like 'prices of every three metals'. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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