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

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to summarise the main features of the graph showing average monthly price changes for copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014. However, the descriptions of the trends are frequently inaccurate when checked against the visual data. For example, the student states that nickel 'continued to drop till June', whereas the data clearly shows nickel rising significantly in January and February before falling later. Similarly, the description of copper and zinc contains misreadings of the fluctuations and timelines. While there is an attempt to cover all three metals, the factual inaccuracies in reporting the data prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is divided into logical paragraphs, with an introduction followed by separate body paragraphs for each metal. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Likewise', 'On the other hand', and 'Eventually'. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by imprecise referencing and unclear descriptions of the trends. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the text, but the overall flow is occasionally disrupted by confusing chronological claims.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common collocations and descriptive terms such as 'depicting', 'monthwise', 'sharp increase', and 'stepwise increase'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'underwent through a decline', 'losing a stable position', and 'halted at 1%'. Spelling is generally accurate, but vocabulary control lacks the precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'There is a graph depicting...' and 'having a rise for the first two months, the price of Zinc reduced...'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, including 'did not continue to drop till June' misapplications, and prepositions like 'underwent through'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and errors do not severely impede overall communication, placing the grammar comfortably in the mid-range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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