Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-06
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 5.0)
The line chart illustrates monthly percentages of price change of Copper, Nickel and Zinc during 2014.
Overall, these precious metals shows a declining trend from January to June, while after the prices of these metals started to rise until December.
Among all three metals, Nickel shows the most downfall from 6% to -3% in the first 6 months of 2014. In contrast, Copper and Zinc shows -2.5% and -2% downfall respectively.
However, the price of these metals started to recover from July. At the end of the year, prices of all 3 metals rose up to 2%.
In conclusion, all three exotic metals are in a downtrend from January. At the end of the year, Nickel was down 5%, Copper was 0.5% down and Zinc was up 1%. Among all 3 metals, Copper was the most stable metal in comparison to Nickel and Zinc. While Zinc shows slight improvement in comparison to other 2 metals.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides a clear overview and identifies key trends, such as the initial decline and subsequent recovery of the metal prices. However, the data reporting is inconsistent and contains inaccuracies. For instance, stating that Nickel fell from 6% to -3% is not clearly supported by the graph, and the summary at the end contradicts the earlier description of the trends. The task requires a more precise selection of data points to support the main features. While the overall trend is captured, the lack of accuracy in reporting specific figures limits the effectiveness of the response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed, particularly in the final paragraph where the summary of year-end figures feels repetitive and slightly confusing. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between the description of the first half of the year and the second half could be smoother to improve the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. Terms like 'most downfall' and 'rose up to' are slightly unnatural or redundant. The use of 'exotic metals' is inaccurate in this context, as these are industrial base metals. While the student attempts to use a range of vocabulary, the word choice is often basic or slightly misused. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations related to financial data and trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('these precious metals shows', 'Copper and Zinc shows') and awkward phrasing ('prices of all 3 metals rose up to 2%'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. The control over punctuation and sentence structure is inconsistent, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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