Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-22

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 compares the average monthly alteration in the costs of copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

Overall, all three metals were experiencing fluctuation over the period of time. While cooper and nickel reported downward trend, in contrast, zinc experienced upward trend after changed considerably. Nickel faced extreme change in the price and reached the lowest price in june.

Initially, the proportion of the cost change of cooper stood at 2% in january, it declined gradually to -1.5% after 4 months. Then price of cooper stayed constant in may, afterwards it increased by 1.5% in july and plateaued for next 2 months. Afterthat, it slightly decreased and grew in december and stood at 1.5%. Moreover, nickel experienced fluctuations, it was at the peak in january then fell dramatically from 6% to 1% in march. Meanwhile, nickel maintained the same level for 1 month, then halved minimally to 0.5%. After this, it slumped steadily to -3% in june and escalated moderately to -1% in next month. Subsequently, nickel leveled off from july to september. The change of nickel price, which was at 1% in november, after experiencing a slight downfall in october and then stayed constant.

Likewise, zinc was at lowest peak in january as compared to other metals, which was 1%. Then, it inclined graduallyto 3% and faced fall until june. Furthermore, it surged minimally and remained stable. In october, it declined slightly and increased more than double and stood at 2% in december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student attempts to address the task by describing the overall trends and some specific figures for copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reading the data from the graph. For instance, the student states that copper declined to -1.5% after 4 months, whereas the visual data shows it dropped to -0.5%. Additionally, the overview contains a confusing claim that copper and nickel reported downward trends, which is only partially true as both experienced fluctuating periods including positive growth. While all parts of the prompt are addressed, the presence of data misinterpretations places this response at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is arranged into an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for each metal, showing a basic logical structure. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'then', 'afterwards', and 'moreover' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is generally appropriate with a clear grouping of information by metal categories. However, referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall progression is occasionally hampered by confusing sequencing and inaccurate data links. This aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to communicate the basic features of the graph, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'fluctuation', 'plateaued', 'slumped', and 'escalated'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('cooper' instead of 'copper', 'january', 'june') and awkward word choices or collocations ('lowest peak', 'halved minimally'). The repetitive phrasing and inaccuracies in terminology restrict the score to Band 5.5, as the errors occasionally cause confusion for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing dependent clauses and coordinating conjunctions. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in tense consistency, prepositions, and sentence construction, such as 'the proportion of the cost change of cooper stood at 2% in january, it declined gradually' (comma splice) and 'The change of nickel price, which was at 1% in november, after experiencing a slight downfall in october and then stayed constant' (incomplete structure). These frequent errors place the response at Band 5.0.

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

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