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)

The graph below illustrate the monthly average changes in prices of natural metals during 2014.

The graph shows three metals copper, nickel and zinc. During the month of january, the nickel had the highest rate 6% compared to other metals, following along percentage is then copper 2% and zinc 1%. June was the month where nickel gradually decreased their price. However, these three metals moved along consecutively for 3 months from july to september by then the copper decreased to 1%, zinc 0.5% and nickel -1%. By the end of the month the prices increased following zinc 2%, copper 1.2% and nickel 1%.

The graph shows the start of the month where the prices of these natural metals were very high. Then comes the month where these three metal maintained their prices for 3 months and at the end of the year they increased their prices from 1% to 2%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response makes an attempt to describe the provided line graph, but it only partially addresses the task requirements. While the writer mentions some data points, such as nickel starting at 6% in January and the three metals during the middle months, the overall reporting of main features and comparisons is inaccurate and confused. For instance, the text claims that June was the month where nickel gradually decreased their price, whereas the chart shows nickel dropping sharply to -3% in June. Furthermore, the overview and summary statements contain sweeping inaccuracies regarding the trends across the year, failing to capture the dynamic fluctuations of the three metals. Ideas are limited and under-developed, and significant data has been misread or omitted, placing the response at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The text demonstrates some basic organisation, opening with an introductory statement and attempting to group information into paragraphs. However, there is no clear overall progression of ideas, making it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of information across the graph's timeline. Cohesive devices are used in a repetitive and mechanical manner, such as the frequent transitions like 'Then comes the month' or 'By the end of the month', which do not accurately establish logical relationships between the data points. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'following along percentage is then copper', which obscures how the elements connect. Paragraphing is also somewhat arbitrary, failing to separate the introduction from the body content effectively.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and basic, though it is minimally adequate to convey a simple message about the data. The writer attempts some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'average changes', 'prices', and 'rate', but relies heavily on repetitive phrasing. There are noticeable lexical errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'natural metals' instead of simply 'metals', and awkward expressions like 'the nickel had the highest rate'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but inaccuracies in choosing the correct terms and prepositional collocations around data cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response employs a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with occasional, faulty attempts at complex clauses. Grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the graph below illustrate'), incorrect pronoun usage ('decreased their price' referring to singular nickel), and missing or incorrect articles. For example, phrases like 'During the month of january' lack proper capitalisation and contain awkward phrasings. These frequent grammatical errors disrupt the flow of reading and occasionally cause difficulty in interpreting the intended meaning, reflecting typical limitations of this band level.

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.