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 given graph illustrates the average monthly change in the prices of copper, zinc and nickel. The data pertains to the year 2014. Overall, the graph represents that nickel has the highest change in price at around, 6% in the month of january and reached to 1% at the end of the year, while zinc has the lowest change in price at approximately, 1% in the month of january and reached to 2% in month of december.
On a cursory look, it becomes evident that the all the three metals have undergone a significant change. Furthermore, zinc has the highest change in price in the month of january at nearly, 6% while, in the middle of the year it had a dramatic change in price at almost -3% and by the month of december it reached to 1%. Similarly, copper has 2% change in price in the start of year and decreased to approximately, 1.5%.
In comparison, the graph depicts one metal that fluctuated throughout the year for instance, zinc had 1% change in price in the month of january and it raised to 3% in month of feburary and till the end of the year it reached to 2%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the prompt by summarising information about copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that nickel started at around 6% in January and reached 1% at the end of the year, which is generally accurate, but then confuses the metals entirely in the second paragraph, claiming 'zinc has the highest change in price in the month of january at nearly, 6%'. In the visual data, nickel peaked at 6% in January, not zinc. Furthermore, the selection of main features is rather random and poorly supported by the actual trends on the graph. The overview is also confused and mixes up the data for different series. This corresponds to Band 5, as the response addresses the task only partially and contains inaccuracies in reporting the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into three paragraphs, including an introduction and body paragraphs. However, the logical progression is weak due to contradictory statements and confusion between the data series. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Similarly', and 'In comparison' are used, but their application is sometimes awkward or mechanically forced, such as 'On a cursory look, it becomes evident that the all the three metals have undergone a significant change.' Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal cohesion of the essay suffers from the confused reporting of data. Referencing is frequently unclear because the student mixes up which metal is being discussed. This level of organisation and cohesion fits Band 5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting words like 'illustrates', 'pertinent', 'significant change', and 'fluctuated'. However, there are notable limitations and inappropriate word choices, such as 'highest change in price at around, 6%' and 'reached to 1%' (unnecessary comma usage and preposition errors like 'reached to'). Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary control is weak, especially when describing graphical trends where precise terms like 'peaked', 'plummeted', or 'remained stable' are missing. The lexical control demonstrates features of Band 5, where the range is limited and noticeable errors occur.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Overall, the graph represents that nickel has the highest change in price... while zinc has the lowest change...'. However, grammatical accuracy is low, with frequent errors including awkward phrasing ('the all the three metals'), incorrect prepositions ('reached to 1% at the end of the year', 'in the start of year'), and tense inconsistencies (mixing present and past tenses inappropriately when describing historical data from 2014). Punctuation is also faulty, with unnecessary commas separating modifiers from their values (e.g., 'at around, 6%'). These frequent errors place the response firmly in Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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