Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-30
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 given line graph illutrate fluctuations in the cost of three different metals such as copper, nickel, and zinc over the year.
Overall, Nickel recorded considerably higher cost than the zinc and copper in the month of january, although its figures fluctuated over the year. By contrast, zinc experienced a substantial overall increase, while nickel and copper remained relatively stable at lower levels.
For Nickel, the highest increase in the price has recorded in the month of january that is 6% compares to the copper and zinc with the percentage of 2 and 1 respectively. As time passes, the percentage of nickel starts decreasing, whereas zinc has relativey highe percentage as compared to nickel and copper.
For the month of december, the fluctuations became evident. zinc has higher percentage than the copper and nickel. The percentages are 2% for zinc, 1% for nickel and 1.5% for copper respectively. It demonstarte that the cost of zinc has increased by 1% within the year. Although, the percentage decreased by 5% ans 1.5% for nickel, and copper.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the prompt by describing the overall trends and some specific data points from the line graph. However, there are several inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, the student states that 'Nickel recorded considerably higher cost than the zinc and copper in the month of january', which is correct (6%), but later claims that zinc experienced an overall increase while nickel and copper remained stable at lower levels, misinterpreting the actual monthly percentage change data shown on the graph (where nickel and zinc both show volatile movements). Furthermore, the conclusion contains mathematical errors, stating that 'the percentage decreased by 5% ans 1.5% for nickel, and copper'. Key features are selected, but some data reporting is flawed, placing this response in Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into four paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific metals. However, the logical progression is hindered by confusing transitions and unclear referencing. For example, expressions like 'As time passes' are overly informal for an Academic Task 1 response. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or inaccurately ('For Nickel...', 'For the month of december...'), and referencing pronouns or comparative structures occasionally become ambiguous. Paragraphing is present, but overall cohesion is somewhat faulty, warranting a Band 5.5 score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to discuss general trends, using words such as 'fluctuations', 'substantial', and 'stable'. However, there are numerous lexical and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'illutrate' instead of 'illustrate', 'january' with a lowercase letter, 'relativey', 'highe', and 'demonstarte'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are often marred by inappropriate word choices or word forms. The range is minimally adequate for the task, but vocabulary limitations and frequent spelling errors restrict the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Although its figures fluctuated over the year' and 'As time passes, the percentage of nickel starts decreasing'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are errors in subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'the highest increase in the price has recorded' (passive voice error) and mixing present and past tenses ('is recorded', 'starts decreasing', 'became evident'). Punctuation and capitalization errors are also noticeable. These frequent errors occasionally cause minor confusion, supporting a Band 5.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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