Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-13
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 provided line chart illustrates the mean monthly alterations in the prices of Copper, Nickel, and Zinc in 2014.
Overall, over the 12-month period, while Nickel experienced a decline in prices, Copper and Zinc saw a fluctuation.
Looking at the details, Nickel stood at 6% at the beginning of January 2014. Over the next five months its displayed a major decline to a low of -3% in June, before recovered and reached a point of 1% in Desember 2014.
Regarding Zinc and Copper, both metals recorded a fluctuation throughout the period. Zinc started at 1% in january 2014, followed by an increase to a peak of 3% in February, before showed a general downward trend to a low of -1% in October. After that the trend recovered and result to 2% in the end of the year. Copper followed a similar pattern; having started at 2%, hovered from a high of 2% to a low -1% throughout the period and finished to roughly 1.5% in December.
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 student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making comparisons among copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014. The overview accurately captures the general trajectories, noting that nickel declined while copper and zinc fluctuated. Key data points are selected and reported, such as nickel starting at 6% and dropping to -3% in June. However, there are minor reporting inaccuracies and slight over-generalisations in how the data points are linked. For instance, the student states nickel reached '1% in Desember 2014' and zinc finished at '2% in the end of the year', which generally aligns with graph trends, but the overall development lacks deep extension in some areas. Nevertheless, the main features are clearly identified, satisfying the Band 6 descriptors well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs detailing specific metal trends. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Looking at the details', and 'Regarding Zinc and Copper' are used to structure the text logically. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical. For example, sentences like 'before recovered and reached' and 'before showed a general downward trend' lack necessary subjects or correct verb forms, which disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the body details, but the transitional links between sentences within the body paragraphs could be smoother and more accurate to achieve a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'mean monthly alterations', 'fluctuation', 'downward trend', and 'pattern'. There are, however, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that slightly detract from the response. For example, 'Desember' is misspelled, and phrases like 'before recovered and reached' and 'result to 2%' demonstrate awkward collocations and word forms. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main data trends effectively, meeting the requirements for Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as introductory participial clauses ('having started at 2%'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and tense consistency in complex structures. Examples include 'its displayed a major decline' (possessive determiner error), 'before recovered' (missing subject and incorrect verb form), 'before showed' (missing subject), and 'finished to roughly 1.5%' (preposition error). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the writing from achieving a Band 7, placing it firmly at Band 6 where non-systematic errors persist.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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