Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-04
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 the monthly changing price trend of three metals in 2014.
Overall, nickel was the highest proportion of change, while zinc had the least change in price. At the end of the year, zinc showed the highest change, but nickel moved to the least change in 2014.
In the beginning of 2014, nickel witnessed a slight decline from 6% in January to 4% in February as compared to copper, which changed from 2% in January to 1% in February. Additionally, zinc showed an upward trajectory with a share of 3%. Moreover, nickel had a sharp decline and accounted for 1%, as compared to zinc and copper, which accounted for 2% and 0.5% in March, respectively. In addition, copper and nickel remained unchanged in April, while zinc followed with 1.5%. In May, all three metals witnessed a downward trend with a slight decrease in proportion. Zinc and nickel had sharp declines in June with -1% and -3%, respectively, while copper remained unchanged.
Furthermore, in July, all of the metals had an upward trend, but nickel and zinc remained in negative change. In the months of August and September, all metals remained stable, while three metals edged down with slight differences. Conversely, nickel and zinc showed significant increases and had proportions of 1% and 1.8%, respectively. In the end, nickel remained stable, while copper and zinc had minor increments.
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 covers the main features of the graph, but the analysis is inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, the overview claims nickel had the 'highest proportion of change' and zinc the 'least', which is not clearly supported by the data trends. Furthermore, the description of the data is sometimes confusing; for example, stating that in August and September 'all metals remained stable, while three metals edged down' is contradictory. The report would benefit from a more precise selection of data points to highlight the peaks and troughs rather than attempting to describe every month in detail, which leads to a loss of clarity regarding the overall trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow of information is often disjointed. While cohesive devices like 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'Conversely' are used, they are sometimes applied mechanically or inappropriately, such as using 'Conversely' to introduce a sentence that does not clearly contrast with the previous one. The progression of ideas is hindered by the lack of clear logical links between the monthly descriptions. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the specific movements of the three metals over the year.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. Phrases like 'monthly changing price trend' and 'minor increments' are functional but basic. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'highest proportion of change' when referring to the graph's values, and 'share of 3%' which is not the most appropriate term for price change percentages. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or sophistication required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with prepositions and tense consistency (e.g., 'In the beginning of 2014' should be 'At the beginning'). Some sentences are clunky, such as 'nickel witnessed a slight decline... as compared to copper, which changed from 2%...'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the overall control of complex structures is inconsistent, with errors occurring frequently enough to be noticeable, though they rarely impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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