Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-05
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 line graph illustatres the alterations in cost of copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.
To commence with the chart, it is clearly seen that the vast alterations had been seen the in price of nickel in the beggining of the period, where only minority the of changes had been seen in the cost of other two types of metal. price of nickel decreased significantly from 6 to 1% from from jan to march and slight drop had been seen in the cost of cooper whereas zinc experienced rise in first two months. from march to may, price changes remained constant and similar in case of cooper and nickel. minor and stable alterations from 0 to 2% were seen in the copper for rest of the period.
rearding cooper, dramatic fall had been seen from may to july, subsequently changed in price remained unchanged for few months and fluctuated and went to 1% in end of the years. in terms of zinc, the cost decreased 3 to -1% from feb to may and remained stable for few months and reached at peak till the end of year.
overall, although majority of the percentage changes had been seen in the price of nickel, price of all types of metals fluctuated and reached at almost similar in the end of year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main task by outlining the general trends of copper, nickel, and zinc over the course of 2014, fulfilling the basic requirements of an academic overview. However, the development of ideas is limited and at times unclear, with several inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the text states that the price of nickel decreased from 6 to 1 percent from January to March, whereas the graph indicates that it fell from 6 percent down to 1 percent only by March, but with intervening fluctuations; similarly, details regarding copper and zinc are sometimes confused or poorly supported. The overview at the end captures the broad picture that nickel experienced significant changes while all metals finished at similar levels, but key features lack the precision and extension needed for higher bands.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates some organisation and attempts to group information chronologically and by metal, but there is no clear overall progression throughout the text. Paragraphing is weak, and the essay lacks a proper structure, rushing from one point to another without clear signposting. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'To commence with the chart' and 'rearding cooper'. Furthermore, referencing and pronoun use are not always clear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the exact sequence of events and comparisons between the three metal types.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, with noticeable errors that occasionally impede communication. There are frequent spelling errors such as 'illustatres', 'alterations', 'beggining', 'cooper', and 'rearding'. Word choice and collocations are often awkward or inaccurate, as seen in expressions like 'vast alterations had been seen' and 'reached at peak'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary related to data trends, but the high density of spelling mistakes and awkward phrasing restricts the lexical score to this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The grammatical range is quite limited, relying heavily on simple structures and repetitive passive forms that are frequently mishandled, such as 'vast alterations had been seen the in price'. Attempts at more complex sentences result in frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, articles, and sentence construction. For example, clauses are often strung together without proper punctuation or conjunctions ('from march to may, price changes remained constant and similar in case of cooper and nickel'). These frequent errors can cause difficulty and re-reading for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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