Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-01

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 rendered line graph demonstrates the information about the aggrigate monthly alteration in the prices of three metals during 2014.

Overall, the maximum proportion of monthly change in price of Nickel, while the minimum alteration observe in Copper in 2014

In detail, 2% change in price of Copper in January which decline at 1% after a month after fluctuations it remained stable at 1% in July and reached up to 1% in December. In terms of Nickel, 6% alteration in price in January which decreased rapidly in March, while it declined at -3% in June, depicts fluctuations and reached at 1% in November and December.

In case of Zinc, 1% change observe in January which inclined at 3% in Febraury and declined at -1% in June and remain stable for next three months, reached up to 1% in Novemeber and become at its peak point in December at 2%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response falls just short of the 150-word minimum requirement at 149 words, which impacts task completion. The student attempts to address the prompt by reporting figures for all three metals, but the overview is incomplete and grammatically broken ("Overall, the maximum proportion of monthly change in price of Nickel, while the minimum alteration observe in Copper"). Key features are selected, but the description of trends lacks clarity and contains numerous inaccurate data points compared to the visual reference. For instance, stating that Copper reached 1% in July when it actually went to 1% after fluctuating, and misreporting several monthly values, means the response only partially addresses the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response shows some overall organization, attempting an introduction, an overview sentence, and body details, which fits the mid-level band. However, progression is somewhat mechanical and disjointed due to poor linking and abrupt transitions between data points. Cohesive devices are used minimally and sometimes inappropriately, such as 'In detail' and 'In case of'. Paragraphing is also inadequate, as the entire body of information is crammed into a single block of text rather than being structured logically into separate paragraphs for comparison or grouping.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Vocabulary use is limited and minimally adequate for the task, featuring several spelling errors ('aggrigate', 'Febraury', 'Novemeber') and awkward word choices ('alteration observe', 'inclined at'). The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'fluctuations' and 'proportion', but inaccuracies in word formation and collocation are noticeable. While communication is not entirely blocked, the repetitive phrasing and lexical slips restrict the score to a modest level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, relying heavily on fragmented clauses and lists of data rather than fully formed, complex sentence structures. There are frequent errors in tense usage, missing verbs, and prepositions (e.g., 'which decline at 1%', 'become at its peak point'), which can cause difficulty for the reader. Simple structures are controlled with mixed success, and attempts at complex modifications often result in faulty syntax and punctuation errors.

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

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