Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-18
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 information about the prices of three different metals in a period of time .
Nickel started with relatively high percentage of change in prices as compared to copper and zinc. It started at 6% and immediately after that there was a huge set back as its % falls dramatically and by march the % was at 1%. For some time it remains steady then again it decreases to -3%.Zinc begins with the very lowest point and immediately soared up by passing copper but its % falls little by little till march . In march it falls straight from 1% to -1%.
Copper initiate with 2% and falls slowly with the passing months. It became steady in the month of march and remains steady for a month. Moreover,in july its % increased by 2 % .Afterwards, there was no huge change in copper just few fluctuations.
Overall,Zinc and Copper started from almost same point and remains same throughout the whole year with slight fluctuations.Nickel started from relatively above them both but there was a huge setback in the following months and ends with lowest among all.
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 response attempts to cover the main trends in the chart, noting that nickel started high and experienced a sharp drop, while copper and zinc showed different patterns. However, there are numerous factual inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, the student states that nickel 'decreases to -3%' in June, which is accurate, but misinterprets several other movements. Furthermore, the overall summary is factually incorrect; stating that 'Zinc and Copper started from almost same point and remains same throughout the whole year' contradicts the visual data, where copper began at 2% and zinc at 1%, and they followed quite distinct monthly paths. The task is addressed, but the imprecise and incorrect data extraction pulls the score down to a band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is structured into four distinct paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs, and an overall summary, which is an appropriate format for an Academic Task 1. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is weak. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes awkward, such as 'immediately after that' and 'moreover,in july'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making it hard to follow which metal is being referred to in certain transitions. Paragraphing is used, but the overall flow feels mechanical and disjointed, aligning with the descriptors for Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, relying on terms like 'percentage of change', 'steady', 'huge set back', and 'fluctuations'. There are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'Copper initiate with 2%' (instead of 'initiated at') and 'soared up by passing copper'. Spelling and morphological issues also occur, such as 'remanis' or spacing errors around punctuation marks ('moreover,in'). The lexical range is minimally adequate for the task, fitting a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('zinc begins', 'remains same'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('with the passing months'). Punctuation is also weak, with spaces missing after commas. While meaning is generally understandable despite the errors, the frequency of grammatical slips keeps the response at a Band 5.0 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.