Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-29
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 graph depicts the change in average monthly prices of three metal during the year 2014.
Overall, Nickel showed the maximum average drop in the price throughout the year. Zinc average price rose at the end of year. Copper average price remained approximately same at the end of year.
Nickel started with 6 percent and illustrated maximum decline between the month January and March. Afterwards it stabilized between month march and May. Again it demonstrated sudden reduction from month May to June. It followed by a continuous growth between June and July. It remained steady between the month July and October. Afterwards it highlighted increase till November and remains unchanged till December. Zinc began with 1% and showed incline till February and decrease continuously till July. Afterwards it stabilized till October and then showed upward trend till the end of year.
Copper commenced with 2 percent and showed drop till may and remained steady till June. Afterwards it depicted surge till July and plateaued till November and ends with slight increase till December.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student addresses the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the three metal prices in 2014, making some comparisons where relevant. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, stating general trends such as Nickel having the maximum average drop and Zinc's upward movement at the end of the year. However, some of the detailed descriptions contain factual inaccuracies when compared against the visual data. For example, Nickel's trajectory is misread in places (e.g., stating it started with 6 percent when the graph shows a change of 6 percent in January, but then describing subsequent months inaccurately). Furthermore, the overview lacks comprehensive synthesis of the overall patterns across all three metals. Consequently, the response achieves a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text demonstrates a basic logical organisation with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and separate body paragraphs for the different metals. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow due to mechanical transitions and repetitive sentence structures (e.g., starting multiple sentences with 'Afterwards'). Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks cohesive flow. While referencing is generally understandable, the lack of sophisticated cohesive devices results in a disjointed reading experience. This aligns well with the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating appropriate topic-specific terms such as 'average monthly prices', 'percentage', 'decline', and 'surge'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'maximum average drop in the price' instead of 'greatest average drop in price', and missing plural forms like 'three metal' instead of 'three metals'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, with frequent use of basic descriptors. This performance corresponds to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors in prepositions and articles, such as 'between the month march and May', 'till the end of year', and 'remains unchanged' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation is basic, and some complex structures are faulty, which occasionally requires the reader to re-read sentences to grasp the intended meaning. The frequency of grammatical errors places this response securely at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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