Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-28
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 depicts the monthly cost variation of copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.
Overall, the cost for nickel and copper dropped over the year where nickel experienced a substantial drop in price; however, copper's cost showed oscillations throughout with relatively small drop. Conversely, the value of zinc increased followed by some variations.
To begin with, the value of nickel dropped significantly from 6% in January to 1% in march, followed by further decline to reach -3% in june before recovering to 1% by the end of the year. On the other hand, copper began at 2% followed by fluctuations throughout and finally settled at about 1.5%.
Conversely, zinc commenced with 1%, reached a peak at 3% in february, followed by considerable drop to reach 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 | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response provides an overview of the main trends for the three metals, though there are some slight inaccuracies in reporting the overall trajectory (e.g., stating that nickel and copper dropped over the year, whereas copper actually ended higher than it started at 2% and finishing at 1.5% after fluctuating). Key features are selected and compared, such as nickel's significant drop to -3% in June and zinc's peak in February. However, the task is truncated abruptly mid-sentence, leaving the description of zinc incomplete. Furthermore, the length requirement of 150 words is not met, as the response contains only 127 words, resulting in a penalty to Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction and an overall summary, followed by body paragraphs detailing specific trends. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'Conversely' are used to signal shifts between metals and data points. However, logical progression is hindered by the incomplete ending and the short length. Paragraphing is present but basic, and referencing is sometimes slightly imprecise given the data overviewed.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for describing graphical data, featuring terms such as 'cost variation', 'oscillations', 'fluctuations', 'drop significantly', and 'peak'. There are attempts at less common vocabulary ('substantial drop', 'considerable drop'), but word choice is occasionally imprecise, such as using 'cost' instead of 'price'. Spelling is mostly accurate except for a capitalization oversight at the beginning of sentences/months ('march', 'june', 'february'). The range is sufficient for the task but limited by the short length.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The line graph depicts...' and '...nickel experienced a substantial drop in price; however, copper's cost showed oscillations throughout...'. There are some grammatical and punctuation errors, including a lack of capitalization for months ('march', 'june', 'february') and an incomplete final sentence ('...followed by considerable drop to reach 2%'). Despite these flaws, the errors do not severely impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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