Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-06

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 4.5)

The line graph tracks the modification of the average monthly prices of copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

In January, Nickel was too costly among the rest of the metals. Then between February to May the prices was fallen down gradually and got the sharp fall in June almost -3. Then the graph shows that the price of Nickel was bit linear from July to September. From october to November that metal experienced little rise in the price then the price remained stable again in November to December.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies nickel as the metal with the highest January change and notes its sharp fall in June, both relevant features. However, it reports only nickel and omits the copper and zinc series, so it does not provide the required comparisons or a meaningful overview of all three metals. Some details are also inaccurate: nickel rose from about -1% in July to September only in November, rather than remaining stable from July to September; it then stayed around 1% in both November and December. The response is substantially under the required 150 words, which leaves the task only minimally covered. To improve, summarise the overall pattern for all three metals and select key highs, lows and turning points accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows a basic chronological sequence, moving from January through to December, and uses time markers such as “Then,” “From October to November,” and “again” to connect events. This gives the reader a simple route through the nickel data. However, the paragraph is a single block with no clear overview or grouping of information, and the repeated focus on one metal prevents a balanced progression across the graph. Some links are also confusing: “November to December” follows a sentence that says the price rose from October to November, making the timeline difficult to interpret. Organise the response into an overview and a details paragraph, and compare the metals within clear time periods.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

There is enough vocabulary to communicate the basic topic and some changes, including “sharp fall,” “gradually,” “linear,” and “remained stable.” These attempts show some range beyond simple repetition of “price.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph: “modification” is not a natural substitute for change, “too costly” describes an absolute price rather than the largest monthly increase, and “got the sharp fall” is an awkward collocation. “Bit linear” is also imprecise for a series that changes direction. Use standard trend language such as “recorded the largest increase,” “fell sharply,” and “fluctuated” or “remained broadly stable,” ensuring the wording matches the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses a few different sentence patterns, including a time clause in “Then between February to May…” and a longer sentence describing the later months. The intended sequence is generally understandable. However, the range is limited, and errors occur in basic verb forms and sentence construction. For example, “the prices was fallen down” has incorrect agreement and verb form; “between February to May” uses an incorrect paired preposition; and “got the sharp fall in June” lacks a well-formed verb phrase. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “Nickel” and “october.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting, such as “prices fell gradually from February to May,” and vary sentence structures while checking agreement, articles and punctuation.

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