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 illustrates the average monthly price change of three different mentals in the year 2014.

Overall, nickel showed a downward trend with the most declining ratio, showing a definite decrease in price while others such as copper and zinc remained almost identical from the start till the end of period, while zinc comprising as the most stable metal.

First one comprises of the metal with the most frequent change, nickel, which was typically 6% at the beginning of january, conversely having an absolute fall onto -3 in the month of june. Afterwards, it started to rise with moderate downfalls in trends between years july, August and September with -1% before december where the price ranges about 1% differing from the pervious month.

Second one is copper, showing 2% shift in price compared with the past month at the start, thus flowing with a moderate trend pattern between the months of July to September with a price ratio of 1%, whereas February to June showed peak downsidedness of the trend below zero but contributes 1.5% increase in price by the end of December.

Last one consists of the metal zinc which represented 1% , while moving with a higher pattern resulting a 3% in February, however after that it caused a downward trend and rose again in december with an average proportion of 2% as some change in its price pattern.

Hence, the most unstable metal with a downward trend pattern was nickel in 2014, copper as defining with the most stable bracket whereas zinc contributes highest price change of these three metals, comprising a trend of 2% by the end of December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student attempts to address the task by summarizing the main features of the line graph showing monthly price changes for copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, though it contains contradictory claims about which metal is the most stable. While the response identifies key fluctuations—such as nickel dropping to -3% in June and copper hovering around 1%—there are notable inaccuracies in reporting specific data points and general trends. For example, zinc is incorrectly described as having the 'highest price change' and being the 'most stable' in different parts of the text. Furthermore, some data references are vague or misread against the visual data. The response meets the minimum word count, but the precision and development of ideas are somewhat hindered by confusing terminology and contradictory overviews.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, an overview, and subsequent body paragraphs dedicated to each individual metal, followed by a concluding summary. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward referencing and confusing transitional phrases such as 'First one comprises of' and 'Second one is copper'. Cohesive devices are attempted, but they are often mechanical or misused, which weakens the flow of information. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within sentences often feels disjointed due to run-on structures and unclear pronoun references, resulting in a somewhat confused overall arrangement.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic summary of graphical data, but it suffers from frequent lexical inaccuracies, spelling mistakes (such as 'mentals' instead of 'metals'), and awkward phrasing (such as 'most declining ratio', 'peak downsidedness', and 'average proportion'). The student attempts less common vocabulary, but word choice and collocation are often unnatural or incorrect. Repetition of basic structures and imprecise terms like 'things' or descriptive phrases that fail to use standard statistical language limit the score to a 5.0. Spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures are often faulty and lead to grammatical errors. There are frequent issues with prepositions, relative clauses, and verb forms, such as 'zinc comprising as the most stable metal' and 'copper as defining with the most stable bracket'. Punctuation is basic, and run-on sentences frequently obscure the meaning. While the reader can generally follow the intended message, the high frequency of grammatical inaccuracies across sentences prevents the response from achieving a higher band score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.