Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-08
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)
This line graph demonstarte the Price changings pf copper nickel zinc in 2014.
Overall nickel prices decrease gradually from january to june. From june to december it increase time by time. Zinc prices also vary by the every passed moth. Copper prices slightly decrease from january to june but after it sustain its position.
Nickel was the only metal in graph which faces a major drop from january to june. In january nickel was expensive among all but over the time till june it becomes cheepest metal in 2014. From july its prices strarts raising slowly but still it was less priced rather than other metals.
On the other hand copper's price was in the middle of these two. From junuary to may it slowly decreased and than from june to december it rose up time by time. Zinc were the only metal which was low priced in january yet at end of the year it was most expensive metal . Firstly, its price boost in febraury. From march to june its shrink slightly. from july to october price remain same and than it escalate suddenly.
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, identifying the trends for copper, nickel, and zinc. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks a clear overview of the most significant trends. While you mention the starting and ending points, the description of the fluctuations is occasionally imprecise, such as describing price changes as 'time by time' or 'every passed moth'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping the data more logically and highlighting the most striking comparisons, such as the clear divergence between zinc and nickel by the end of the year, rather than listing changes chronologically for each metal.
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 limited and sometimes mechanical. Phrases like 'On the other hand' and 'Firstly' are used, but the transition between sentences is often abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to 'these two' without explicitly naming the metals again. Improving the flow between sentences by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several spelling errors ('demonstarte', 'changings', 'moth', 'junuary', 'febraury') and awkward collocations such as 'less priced' and 'price boost'. You rely on basic verbs like 'decrease', 'increase', and 'rise'. To improve, you should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'fluctuate', 'plummet', 'stabilise', or 'surge', and ensure that you are using the correct terminology for financial data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'Zinc were the only metal' (subject-verb agreement) and 'From junuary to may it slowly decreased and than from june to december it rose up' (punctuation and spelling). The misuse of 'than' instead of 'then' and the inconsistent use of articles are recurring issues. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for basic grammatical slips would help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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