Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-17
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 graph depicts the average variation in the price range of three different metals in a month during the year 2014.
In January, nickel was the metal with highest price range, whereas it exhibited a steep decline to 4% in February then to 1 % in March which plateaued until April followed by a slight fall to 0.5% in May subsequently again showed a significant dip to -3% in June further rose to -1%, moreover again remained constant for next 3 months. After the 9th month, again dropped to -2%. Surprisingly the percentage climbed to 1% in November and remain the same up to December. The next mental copper started from the price range 2% in the 1st month went through various fluctuations which levelled down zinc in between 1st two months and surpassed copper and zinc just after May and June respectively. However, zinc which was the mental with least percentage among all three metals crossed over copper in the beginning of 2014 exhibited numerous fluctuations and increased the percentage to 2%
To sum up, initially Nickle had the greatest price among all the three metals which reduced at the end. In spite of that the price for zinc grew rose in the end of 2014
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to cover the main trends in the line graph, providing an overview in the final paragraph and detailing the movements of nickel, copper, and zinc. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reading the data from the chart. For instance, the student states that nickel dropped to -3% in June and remained constant for the next 3 months, whereas the chart shows it fluctuating at -1% during August and September before dropping to -2% in October. Furthermore, the descriptions of copper and zinc are muddled and difficult to follow due to imprecise tracking of the lines ('levelled down zinc in between 1st two months'). While all parts of the task are addressed, the lack of precision and some confusion in reporting the data limit the score to Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into an introduction, body paragraph, and a concluding summary. However, the internal cohesion of the main body paragraph is weak. It consists of an extremely long, run-on sequence of clauses linked by sequential connectors and conjunctions ('then', 'which', 'followed by', 'subsequently', 'further', 'moreover', 'again') without adequate punctuation or clear paragraph breaks. This makes the progression difficult to follow. Pronoun referencing and signposting are also occasionally unclear, such as the sudden shift to discussing copper and zinc mid-paragraph without proper transitional markers. Cohesion is therefore mechanical and faulty at times, corresponding to a Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for a Task 1 response, attempting topic-specific terms such as 'variation', 'steep decline', 'plateaued', 'fluctuations', and 'surpassed'. However, there are notable word choice errors and typos, such as referring to metals as 'mental' twice ('The next mental copper', 'zinc which was the mental with least percentage'). Collocations and preposition choices are sometimes awkward (e.g., 'price range of three different metals in a month'). Despite these errors, the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general idea, fitting the descriptor for Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the long, unbroken sentences in the body paragraph lead to serious grammatical breakdowns. There are numerous run-on sentences lacking proper full stops or conjunctions (e.g., '...in June further rose to -1%, moreover again remained constant for next 3 months. After the 9th month, again dropped to -2%.'). Verb tense consistency and subject-verb agreement are also problematic in places, such as 'remain the same up to December' and 'price for zinc grew rose'. Frequent errors in punctuation and clause structure cause considerable difficulty for the reader, placing this at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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