Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-02

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 line graph illustrates the percentage change in prices compared to the previous month.

Overall, all three metals showed fluctuations throughout 2014, with copper and zinc being the two largest categories, accounting for the highest proportions. Meanwhile, Nickel accounted for the smallest category throughout.

Looking first at the metal copper, it fluctuated moderately. It commenced at the proportion of 2% in january, followed by a slight decrease of approximately -0.5% in may. Subsequently, it rose steadily to 1% in july and finally ended at 1.5% in december. Moving to the next metal zinc, its price commenced at the proportion of 1% in january, followed by a slight increase in 3% in february. It decreased steadily to dip at -1% in june. Meanwhile, it increased to end at the percentage of 2% in december.

Turning to the other metal copper, it fluctuated significantly the price of it commenced at the proportion of 6%, followed by a steady decrease of 1% in march. It experienced a dramatic decrease of -3% in june then the percentage of price rose to end at 1% in december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response fails to appropriately interpret the data, as it repeatedly misinterprets the percentage change graph as showing proportions or sizes (e.g., stating copper and zinc are "the two largest categories, accounting for the highest proportions" and that nickel is "the smallest category"). The data shows monthly price changes rather than overall proportions or market share. Furthermore, the report contains confusion and repetition regarding the data series, such as introducing copper a second time in the final paragraph when discussing nickel. While there is an attempt to present an overview and mention some specific figures, the fundamental misunderstanding of what the graph represents prevents the response from fully addressing the core requirements of the task. To improve significantly, the student must carefully read the axis labels to understand that the chart measures rate of change over time, and ensure that data points are accurately assigned to their correct categories without repeating or confusing the metal names.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response is organized into paragraphs with basic attempts at logical progression, such as "Looking first at the metal copper" and "Moving to the next metal zinc". However, overall cohesion is hindered by mechanical referencing errors and confusion between categories. For instance, the transition "Turning to the other metal copper" occurs when discussing nickel, which disrupts the logical flow and confuses the reader. Additionally, cohesive devices are limited and repetitive, with over-reliance on simple sequencing phrases like "followed by" and "followed by a slight increase". Paragraphing is attempted, but ideas within the paragraphs lack clear progression due to inaccurate data reporting. To achieve a higher band, the student should ensure that referencing pronouns and transitional phrases accurately match the subjects being discussed, and use a wider variety of cohesive devices to smoothly connect points without mechanical repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, but contains noticeable errors that impede communication and reflect a lack of precision. The student frequently misapplies terms related to statistical data, using words like "proportion" and "categories" instead of rates of change, percentage changes, or fluctuations. There are also inappropriate collocations and inaccurate word choices, such as stating that a price "commenced at the proportion of 2%" or that a price "experienced a dramatic decrease of -3%". Spelling is generally acceptable, but the misuse of core vocabulary severely limits the lexical score. To move up to a higher band, the student needs to incorporate precise language suited to line graphs—such as verbs of trend (rise, fall, fluctuate) and accurate nouns (percentage change, rate)—while avoiding incorrect terms like proportion or category when describing linear data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic subject-verb-complement patterns. While there are some attempts at complex forms, such as participle clauses like "followed by a slight decrease", these structures are often mechanically repetitive or contain errors in prepositional use and agreement. Frequent errors occur, including missing capitalization for proper months ("january", "may", "july", "december") and awkward phrasing such as "the price of it commenced at the proportion of 6%". Punctuation is basic and sometimes neglected around introductory time markers. To improve grammatically, the student should incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence patterns with accurate control, ensure correct capitalization and prepositions, and reduce the frequency of basic structural errors.

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