Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The line graph illustrates the average monthly changes in the prices of three metals such as copper, nickel and zinc during 2014.

Overall, the figure fluctuated between months during 2014 for all three metals.

In January,6% of change reported for nickel. However, it considerable decreased between January and March. It remain unchanged between March and April. Subsequently,it started decreasing between April and June. In June, the change was about -3%. It was stable between July and September.The change in price fluctuated between September and December. In December it was about 1%.

Regarding the zinc, it started with 1% in January and increased at 3% in February. It significantly decreased between February and June. It remain unchanged at nearly -1% between July and September. It slightly decreased in October. However,the figure showed a rising pattern between October and December.

Regarding the cooper, the figure showed a similar pattern.In January the change was about 2%. It fluctuated between January and December. In December it was nearly at 2% of change in price compared with previous month.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies all three metals and includes some relevant figures, such as nickel at 6% in January and around −3% in June, and copper at about 2% in January. However, the overview is unclear: “the figure fluctuated between months” does not summarise the main pattern or compare the metals. Several details are inaccurate or too vague. Nickel rose to about 1% in November and remained there in December, rather than fluctuating through December; copper ended at roughly 1.5%, not 2%. The account also says zinc decreased between February and June, although it fell only to around 1% by May before dropping below zero in June. Select the key peaks, troughs and shared late-year recovery, and report them accurately to make the summary more complete and relevant.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate sections for nickel, zinc and copper. This makes the metals easy to identify, and time markers such as “In January,” “Subsequently” and “In December” provide some sequencing. However, progression is limited because the overview does not establish a useful comparison, and the body mostly lists changes metal by metal without drawing connections between them. Some transitions are awkward or repetitive, including repeated use of “However” and “Regarding.” The opening overview also contains a gap in meaning (“fluctuated between months”), which weakens the link between the introduction and details. A clearer overview followed by logically grouped comparisons—such as the mid-year falls and late-year rises—would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a relevant range of basic trend vocabulary, including “increased,” “decreased,” “fluctuated,” “stable” and “rising pattern,” so the general subject is usually clear. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing a line graph: “the figure fluctuated between months” does not convey a clear trend, and “6% of change reported” is an awkward way to present a value. “Considerable decreased” also uses the wrong form, while “cooper” is a spelling error for “copper.” Repetition of “change” and “figure” limits precision. Build a more accurate set of collocations, such as “the monthly price change stood at,” “fell sharply,” and “recovered,” and check spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most sentences use simple past forms and are understandable, for example, “It was stable between July and September.” There are also attempts to connect clauses with “However” and “Subsequently,” but the range of sentence structures remains limited, and errors recur. Examples include “It remain unchanged,” which needs past-tense agreement, and “it considerable decreased,” where the adverb form is required. The opening overview, “fluctuated between months,” is incomplete in meaning, and punctuation spacing is inconsistent in forms such as “January,6%” and “Subsequently,it.” These issues sometimes make the reader pause, although the main message can generally be followed. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and combine related comparisons in controlled complex sentences.

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