Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

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 chart illustrates the average monthly change in price of three metals namely Copper, Nickel and Zinc in year 2014.

Overall, Zinc was gradually increased during the period, despite some fluctuations, whereas Nickel and Copper decreased over the year.

In 2014, Copper started from 2% price in January it dropped down, at around -1% in month of May and remained stable till June. However the price of Copper rose up to exact 1% in July and remained similar until September. In December it had been increased nearly 1.9% which was same to the Januray month. Turning to Nickel, it was started to 6% in January, but it had plummeted to 5% and reached to 1% in March. Nickel significantly decreased to -3% in June. It had remainded stable before it reached to 1% price in December.

In addition, in January Zinc start from 1% and it surged to 3% in following month, whereas it dramatically

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and include some relevant figures, such as nickel’s high of about 6% in January and its fall to around -3% in June. However, the overview is not accurate: zinc did not gradually increase overall, and copper did not decrease over the year; both fluctuated and ended above their mid-year lows. The account of zinc is also left unfinished, so its later decline and recovery are not reported. Some details are misread, including copper reaching around -1% in May (the chart shows about -0.5%) and nickel falling to 5% in February (about 4%). To strengthen the response, give a concise, accurate overview of the metals’ contrasting movements and complete the key stages for all three.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a body paragraph that moves from copper to nickel before beginning zinc. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the progression is incomplete because the zinc description stops mid-sentence, and the body does not provide a balanced account of all three series. Linking words such as “Overall,” “However” and “Turning to” help signal shifts, but some connections are awkward or unclear, for example “In December it had been increased” and “It had remainded stable before it reached.” Organise the body into complete comparisons or clearly separated descriptions, and ensure each paragraph develops its point to a clear finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of chart vocabulary, including “plummeted,” “surged,” “fluctuations” and “remained stable,” which helps describe movement rather than simply list figures. Some choices are imprecise or do not collocate naturally: “Zinc was gradually increased” suggests an external action, while “price of Copper rose up” is redundant. There are also spelling slips, including “Januray” and “remainded,” and inconsistent capitalisation of metal names. These do not prevent the general meaning from being understood, but they reduce precision and polish. Prefer standard trend phrases such as “the price of zinc rose” or “zinc fluctuated,” and check spelling and capitalisation carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and a clause beginning “despite some fluctuations.” However, errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between events difficult to follow. For example, “Copper started from 2% price in January it dropped down” joins two clauses without suitable punctuation, and “Zinc was gradually increased” uses an incorrect passive construction for a trend. Verb forms are also inconsistent in “it had been increased” and “it was started to 6%.” Use past simple for the chart’s changes (“rose,” “fell,” “stood”), and separate complete clauses with a full stop or an appropriate conjunction. This will make your comparisons clearer.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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