Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The information provided in the given line chart compares the average monthly wise alternation in the funds of three different metals: Copper, Nickel and Zinc, throughout the entire year 2014.

Overall, it is quite evident from the provided graph that the percentage of all the given metals have consistently declined over the given year. Nickel experience is the most worst across the remaining once, while almost all ends approximately in the same position.

Regarding to Copper, in the initial stage the average change is exactly 2%, in the later time in month of March has reduced to under 0%, then gradually rise up to 1% in June, after that it was fluctuated and finely end over 1%.

Moving to Nickel, it was the most popular metal in January of about 6% of monthly change in prices, later it has sharply declined to exactly 1% in March and April, Next it was remain stable in the following two months, afterward rapidly decreased at bottom of -3% in June, after that it has marginally increased to -1% in July and the upcoming 3 months it maintain the same level, next show a little bit sink but from october it has raised up to 1% and also end with same figure.

By Zinc, it has fluctuated throughout the entire period of time, starting from 2%, then in may and June it was under 0%, then gradually raised to 1% in August, then show no changes in the present two months, and finally end between 1 and 2 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying trends for all three metals. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; the claim that all metals 'consistently declined' is not supported by the data, as there are clear periods of fluctuation and growth. The description of the data is often imprecise, such as 'almost all ends approximately in the same position,' which lacks the necessary detail for a high-scoring response. While the key features are identified, the lack of clear, accurate comparisons and the inclusion of some confusing data points (e.g., the description of Nickel's movement) limit the effectiveness of the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'Regarding to Copper' and 'By Zinc' are unnatural and do not effectively transition between ideas. The progression of information within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow due to repetitive sentence structures and awkward phrasing. While there is an attempt at logical sequencing, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional confusion in referencing make the flow of the text somewhat disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often imprecise. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'alternation' instead of 'fluctuation' or 'change', and 'funds' instead of 'prices'. The phrase 'most worst' is grammatically incorrect and redundant. While the student attempts to describe trends using terms like 'fluctuated', 'sharply declined', and 'marginally increased', the overall range is narrow. The frequent misuse of basic terminology hinders the precision required for an Academic Task 1 response, keeping the score in the lower range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Nickel experience is', 'it was remain stable'), incorrect preposition usage ('in month of March'), and awkward sentence construction. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several run-on sentences that lack proper conjunctions or full stops. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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