Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19
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 graph illustrates the changes in costs in each months of three metals during 2014. Those metals are copper, nickel and zinc.
Nickel had the highest percent in January, 6%. However, it experienced a significant drop in the next 4 months, with the lowest point of -3% in June. It rose a little bit, then being stable from July to October. It decreased slightly again before rising to 1% in December.
Start with 1% in January, the percentage change in price of zinc increased slightly to 2% in February. Then, it dropped to to -1% in the period of 5 months. It fluctuated from June to October before going up to 2% in December.
Compare with the two others above, copper seemed to have less significant change in prices. It was 2% in January, and decreased to under 0% in June. After that, it fluctuated and reached nearly its highest point of 2% in December.
Overall, in spite of having the highest point at first, nickel experienced a dramatical decrease and became the lowest one in the end of the year. Although three metals had different percent in January, they reached the nearly points between 1 and 2% in December.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses the prompt by reporting the main features and trends of the three metals shown in the graph. An overview is provided in the concluding paragraph, highlighting the contrasting starting and ending points. Key data points are correctly referenced, such as nickel starting at 6% in January and dropping to -3% in June, and the final convergence of the three metals between 1% and 2% in December. However, some minor inaccuracies exist in tracking the interim fluctuations for zinc and copper, and the overview could have been more prominently placed at the beginning of the response. Nevertheless, all parts of the task are appropriately covered.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear paragraph structure. Each paragraph is dedicated to a specific metal (nickel, zinc, and copper respectively), followed by a concluding summary paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Then', and 'After that' are used to guide the reader through the data temporal sequence. However, some transitions and referencing feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as starting multiple paragraphs with direct temporal or structural markers like 'Start with' or 'Compare with'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the information logically.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms related to data trends such as 'significant drop', 'fluctuated', and 'dramatical decrease'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'changes in costs in each months' instead of 'changes in prices in each month', and 'highest point at first' rather than 'highest initial point'. The misused adjective form 'dramatical' instead of 'dramatic' also shows minor lexical control issues. Despite these flaws, the vocabulary remains sufficient to communicate the main trends clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including introductory subordinate clauses and contrastive markers. There are several grammatical and mechanical errors throughout the text, such as 'Start with 1% in January' (incorrect participle form), 'dropped to to -1%' (duplicated preposition), and 'reached the nearly points' (incorrect adjective usage). Additionally, punctuation and subject-verb agreement occasionally falter, as seen in 'then being stable'. While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the data reporting.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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