Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The line graph illustrates the avaerage monthly change in the prices of copper, nickel and zinc over a period of 2014.
Overall, it is evident that the nickel shows a huge change between the month january to december. While copper seems similar as compared the price of it with previous month, but zinc cost increases in 2014.
On the hand, nickel has the highest percentage change which is 6% in january, and it continuously fell down until june month. It cost become more cheap as compared to last month, but after the month june it slightly increases. At the end of December, this metal price reached 1, which means cost of it changes by 1 % only.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping at only 117 words, which significantly impacts Task Achievement. While the student attempts to provide an overview and mentions some trends (such as nickel showing a huge change and starting at 6% in January), the data reporting is incomplete and imprecise. For instance, the statement that nickel 'reached 1' in December refers to the percentage change, but the explanation is confusing ('cost of it changes by 1 % only'). Furthermore, the summary lacks key comparisons between the three metals and omits significant portions of the graph's data. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure the length requirement is met and present a more thorough, well-supported overview of all data series.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response demonstrates some basic organization with an introductory sentence and an overall overview. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by abrupt paragraphing and weak transitional phrases (e.g., 'On the hand' instead of 'On the other hand'). Cohesive devices are sometimes used awkwardly, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as pronoun use and vague noun phrases like 'the month january to december'. Paragraphing is under-developed, with the entire body of the response crammed into a single short paragraph after the introduction. To improve, the writer should use clearer logical connectors and group information into distinct, well-structured paragraphs based on similarities or chronological periods.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with noticeable spelling and word choice errors (e.g., 'avaerage' instead of 'average', 'january' uncapitalized, 'fell down' instead of 'fell' or 'decreased', and 'It cost become more cheap' instead of 'It became cheaper'). The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'percentage change', but inaccuracies in collocation and form restrict the range. While communication is not entirely impeded, the frequent lexical errors and lack of sophisticated phrasing place this response firmly in the band 5 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but attempts at complex forms often contain errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'While copper seems similar as compared the price of it with previous month, but zinc cost increases'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and prepositional use (e.g., 'over a period of 2014', 'between the month january to december'). Grammatical errors occur frequently throughout the short text and can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, though the core meaning of some sentences remains understandable.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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