Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-21

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 4.5)

The line graph elucidates the average per month change costs of three metallic elements during 2014.

In an overview, three metallic elements is compared in the line graph. The nickel metal in the january is heighest and lowest metal is nickel in june.

First and foremost, the nickel metallic element was 6% in the january and decreaded in ferbuary was reach 4%, However the nickel metal was 1% in march and april, Moreover the nickel metallic elements was demenish and reached 0.5 in may, Furthermore In june nickle was -3 and july was increased and reached -1 and july, august, september was remain same, As well as october was decreased and november, december was increased reamin same.

In addition, the copper metal % was 2 in january and they was decreased in june and reached -0.5, Additionally the copper metallic element was increased in july and august,sep, oct was remained same in decemeber, Least but not the least the Zinc element iwas 1% in january and they was increased and reached in 3% and also they are decreased in the october month, At the end Zinc was increased in november and december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by describing the trends for copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014. However, the response falls short in several areas. The overview provided in the second paragraph is extremely weak and fails to highlight the overall trends or main features clearly, focusing instead on isolated extremes. Furthermore, the selection of data is erratic, and the reporting of figures contains numerous inaccuracies when compared against the visual data (for instance, misinterpreting the direction and scale of various monthly changes). Ideas are repetitive and lack adequate extension or meaningful comparison between the three metals. This performance aligns best with Band 5, as the task is addressed only partially, with limited and under-developed ideas and an unclear overview.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response is structured into short paragraphs, including a brief introduction and an attempt at an overview, followed by body paragraphs for the specific metals. However, the overall progression is disjointed and lacks a clear logical flow. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and repetitively (e.g., 'First and foremost', 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', 'In addition'), often linking clauses awkwardly rather than creating genuine cohesion. Referencing and pronoun use are frequently confusing, such as 'they was decreased', which obscures the logical connections between sentences. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal coherence within the paragraphs is weak, resulting in a score that sits comfortably within Band 4.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used throughout the essay is basic, repetitive, and often unnatural. The student relies heavily on simple terms and makes frequent word-choice errors, such as 'change costs of three metallic elements' instead of 'price changes', and inventing non-standard terms like 'decreaded' or 'demenish'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are hindered by severe inaccuracies in collocation and spelling (e.g., 'ferbuary', 'decemeber', 'iwas'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the most basic topic, the frequent errors and restricted range constrain the communication, reflecting a solid Band 4 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple or poorly constructed compound sentences. There are frequent and systematic errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and basic sentence construction (e.g., 'three metallic elements is compared', 'the nickel metal in the january is heighest', 'nickel was -3 and july was increased'). Complex structures are rarely attempted, and when they are, they are typically faulty. Punctuation is also problematic, with run-on sentences joined inappropriately by commas. These persistent errors cause frequent difficulty for the reader, placing the grammar score at Band 4.

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

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