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 price of zinc started by 1% in January and increased by 2 percent in one month, in the period of 3 months the price gradually dropped by 2 percent showcasing a gradual decrease in the price but the graph shows another spike of 2 percent decrease in a span of 1 month. For the the next 3 months the price increased by 0.5 percent and stayed constant. The price then shot up by 2.5 percent in the next month and went up by 0.5 percent on year end showcasing a total of 3 percent increase on year end.
Moving on to nickel which started strong on 6 percent increase with a massive drop in price percentage of 5 percent in 2 months, after staying constant for one month another massive decrease of 4 percent in 2 months. A sudden increase of price by 2 percent in one month and stood constant for 2 months with another drop in the next month and moving on to upto 3 percent on year end showing a significant increase of price.
As for copper the trends for price drop was much stagnant than the other two metals with a constant and gradual decrease and increase of 2 to 1 percent throughout the year.
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 response covers all three metals, but the accuracy and selection of main features are problematic. The student attempts to trace monthly changes, but many of the figures and trends reported are misread or confused with absolute price levels rather than percentage changes (e.g., stating zinc started at 1% and increased by 2 percent, then dropping by 2 percent). Furthermore, there is no overall introductory summary or overview, which is a crucial requirement for Academic Task 1. The descriptions become overly narrative and lack a clear focus on the most salient trends and comparisons. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, leading to a Band 5.5 score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is arranged into paragraphs for each metal, which provides a basic organisational structure. However, logical progression is weak. The transitions between months and figures are often confusing, and cohesive devices are repetitive or inadequately used (e.g., using 'Moving on to' and 'As for' mechanically). There is a lack of overarching cohesion to connect the three trends together in a meaningful comparative framework. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the internal flow of sentences within paragraphs can be difficult to follow due to run-on phrasing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'increase', 'decrease', 'price', and 'percent'. There are frequent clumsy collocations and awkward phrasing, such as 'stood constant', 'shot up by 2.5 percent', and 'the trends for price drop was much stagnant'. While some less common vocabulary is attempted, such as 'showcasing' and 'significant', inaccuracies in word choice and preposition usage are noticeable. The vocabulary is minimally adequate for the task, but lexical limitations prevent a clearer presentation of the data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but the control of grammar is inconsistent. There are numerous run-on sentences containing multiple clauses joined by commas or conjunctions without proper punctuation (e.g., 'The price of zinc started by 1% in January and increased by 2 percent in one month, in the period of 3 months...'). Preposition errors are also common, such as 'started by 1%' instead of 'started at 1%', and subject-verb agreement errors occur, such as 'the trends... was'. These errors cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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