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)
There is a graph depicting the average monthly price changes of three metals throughout the year 2014. There is monthwise data for the metals Copper, Nickel and Zinc.
The price of Nickel continued to drop till June in three phases including: January to March, slow decline from April to May and May to June. Then, it had a sharp increase upto July that remained constant untill September. Lastly, having another round of fall and rise, it halted at 1%.
Likewise, the price of Copper faced continuous drop from January to March and then remained steady till June. Although the price rose for next few months, it again underwent through a decline from September to November, after losing a stable position. Eventually, it increased in the following month.
On the other hand, having a rise for the first two months, the price of Zinc reduced gradually untill March, followed by a sharp decrease in the next month. But, at last, it faced a stepwise increase by the end of the year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all three metals presented in the graph and attempts to trace their monthly fluctuations throughout 2014. However, the student misinterprets several key trends from the visual data. For instance, the description of Nickel claims it 'continued to drop till June' and then increased up to July, whereas the graph shows Nickel actually experienced a significant positive percentage change in the first half of the year before dropping sharply to negative values around June. Similarly, the description of Copper and Zinc contains inaccuracies regarding the direction of the monthly trends. While the student attempts to report the main features and make comparisons, the misreading of the graph's axis and data points limits the accuracy of the task achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction followed by individual body paragraphs dedicated to each metal (Nickel, Copper, and Zinc). There is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'Likewise', 'On the other hand', 'Then', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing is sometimes ambiguous, and the logical progression within the body paragraphs is occasionally hindered by inaccurate descriptions of the trends. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing data trends, using terms such as 'depicting', 'fluctuations', 'decline', 'drop', 'sharp increase', and 'stepwise increase'. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'monthwise data', 'underwent through a decline', and 'after losing a stable position'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the precision in lexical choice is occasionally affected by the misinterpretation of the underlying data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participial phrases ('having another round of fall and rise', 'having a rise for the first two months') and subordinate clauses. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'increased upto July that remained constant untill September' (incorrect preposition and misspelling of 'until') and 'underwent through a decline' (redundant preposition). Nevertheless, these errors do not severely impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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