Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-20
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 line graph illustrates the percentage of average monthly prices of three metals, namely,Copper,Nickel and Zinc in 2014.
Overall,Nickel showed rapid decline over a whole year with a small gain in the price of nickel at the end of the year. Other two metals showing volatility throughout the period.
In first six months,Nickel fell steadily from 6% to 1% after declining showing stability in the price for a short time period then showing a decline with the percentage at around negative 3. conversely, the zinc started from positive 1% then showed a steady rise at around 2% afterthat, Zinc exhibited the dramatic decline with the percentage at around negative 1 while, copper experienced fluctuating with the percentage of 2% throughout.
In next 6 months nickel leveled off at negative 1% for three months then experienced a upward trajectory and finish at 1% while,zinc behaved same as nickel and finsih at positive 2%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all three metals presented in the graph and attempts to report key features and comparisons. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reading the data. For instance, the writer states that Nickel 'showed rapid decline over a whole year' with a price gain at the end, but the graph shows alternating periods of rise and fall (high peaks in January and February followed by declines). Similarly, describing copper as 'fluctuating with the percentage of 2% throughout' contradicts the visual data, where copper mostly hovers between 0% and 1% with one negative value. While the overview attempts to summarise the general trend, the factual misinterpretations of the chart data hold this criterion back to a Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs covering the first and second halves of the year. However, the progression is sometimes hindered by clunky transitions and repetitive phrasing ('then showing a decline... then showing a decline'). Cohesive devices are used, but referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'Other two metals showing volatility' lacks an auxiliary verb). Paragraphing is attempted, but sentence-level cohesion lacks smooth integration. Overall, the structure provides a basic framework, but mechanical links and minor referencing errors limit it to a Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts some less common vocabulary related to trends, such as 'volatility', 'steady rise', 'dramatic decline', and 'upward trajectory'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'experienced fluctuating' instead of 'experienced fluctuations' or 'fluctuated', and missing articles or spacing issues (e.g., 'namely,Copper,Nickel'). The vocabulary range is adequate for the task and permits some precision, but frequent inaccuracies in word formation and collocation prevent a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as participial phrases ('after declining showing stability') and prepositional time clauses. However, punctuation and grammatical accuracy are weak. There are several missing words, run-on structures, and awkward phrasing, such as 'Other two metals showing volatility' (missing verb) and 'zinc behaved same as nickel and finsih at positive 2%' (spelling error and missing verb tense consistency). Complex structures are often faulty, and errors cause occasional strain for the reader, placing this at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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