Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

There are three metal atoms that have change in their prices monthly in 2014.These metal atoms are copper, nickel and zinc. As you see in the diagram no 1 there are 2 axix and on x-axis there are months of year 2014 from janauary to december and on y-axis there is percentage change in price compared with previous month. There is also three indication lines or curves inside the diagram which shows how an atom price increase or decrease from january to december. The element copper is indiacted by dotted line and atom nickel is indicated by solid lines, While the element zinc is indiacted with dash cross line. The nickel atom monthly price decrese from 6 percent to 1 in that year. Copper decrease from 2 percent to -0.5 percent in june but again incresases to 1 till september and again decreses to 0,5 till november and increases to 1.5 in december. Zinc atom increases its price percentage to 3 percent from january to februaray but then decrease again to -1% till june and then again increase to 2 percent till december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to summarize the line graph showing the monthly price changes of copper, nickel, and zinc in 2014, but it only partially addresses the requirements of the task. While some main features are mentioned, such as nickel decreasing from six percent, the information is limited, under-developed, and contains inaccurate reading of the data. For instance, stating that nickel's monthly price decreased from six percent to one percent across the entire year overlooks the fluctuations and negative values shown in the graph during the middle months. Furthermore, the description lacks a clear overview or comparison of the overall trends, treating the data points in a mechanical, isolated manner rather than synthesizing the information effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The text suffers from a lack of proper organization and clear progression. The entire response is presented as a single, dense block of text without paragraph breaks, making it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of information. Cohesive devices are used minimally and repetitively, relying heavily on basic conjunctions like 'and' or sequential connectors such as 'then' and 'again'. Referencing is also sometimes unclear, with repetitive phrasing used to introduce data points. To improve, the writer needs to structure the response into logical paragraphs—separating the introduction and overview from the body details—and employ a wider variety of cohesive ties to connect ideas smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, reflecting a basic range that is only minimally adequate for the task. The student frequently misuses scientific or technical terms, repeatedly referring to the metals as 'metal atoms' or 'atoms', which is inappropriate in this context. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'janauary', 'axix', 'indiacted', 'decrese', 'incresases', and 'decreses', along with word-choice inaccuracies like 'indication lines' instead of lines or curves. To reach a higher band, the writer must expand their lexical repertoire to include precise vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'fluctuate', 'decline', and 'stabilize', while improving spelling accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple sentences alongside some basic attempts at complex clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'three metal atoms that have change', 'atom price increase or decrease'), missing plural forms (e.g., 'februaray'), and awkward prepositional phrases. Additionally, punctuation is neglected, particularly regarding sentence boundaries and capitalization (e.g., running sentences together or failing to capitalize proper months). These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a weak control over basic grammatical patterns.

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.