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 shows the average monthly change in the pricess of three metals during 2014.

Overall, percentage change in price of nickel metal was the highest as compare to other two metal in january, followed by copper while zinc was the lowest

Nickel with 6 percentage in january was the higest of all other mental, however it dipped two times to lowest point -3% in june and oct with -2% at dec before it rose to 1% at the end of year. Meanwhile zinc started with lowest share of 1 in jan and it climb to 3% in feburary then it fall to -1 by october before it increase to 2% by december, with largest share of all

Copper begin with 2% in jan then it remains below 1 proportion till june then it remain stable for next 3 months and gradually begins to increase to roughly 1.8% by december

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and report several relevant movements, including nickel’s high January figure and June low, and the general recovery towards year-end. However, the overview is incomplete: it focuses on January rather than summarising the main pattern across the year, such as the sharp mid-year falls in nickel and zinc and their later recovery. Some details are inaccurate: nickel reaches −2% in October, not December; zinc falls to −1% in October, not “by October”; and copper ends at about 1.5%, rather than roughly 1.8%. The claim that zinc has the “largest share” in December is also misleading, since it is higher than copper but not nickel. Select and compare the key trends more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about nickel and zinc, then copper. This gives the reader some sense of organisation, and words such as “Overall,” “Meanwhile,” and “however” help connect points. However, progression is uneven: the overview mainly compares January values, while the later paragraphs do not consistently organise information by shared trends or time periods. Some links are unclear, particularly “it dipped two times to lowest point -3% in June and Oct with -2% at dec,” which makes the sequence of nickel’s changes difficult to follow. Use separate, clearly developed paragraphs and group the metals’ mid-year declines and year-end rises for more logical comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage change,” “dipped,” “stable,” and “increase,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning unclear. For example, “lowest share” and “largest share” are not suitable for describing percentage price changes, while “remains below 1 proportion” is difficult to interpret. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “pricess,” “higest,” “mental,” and “feburary.” Aim for precise terms such as “monthly price change,” “fell to,” and “recovered to,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the comparisons clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences using contrast and time clauses, for example, “Meanwhile zinc started…” and “however it dipped… before it rose…”. These show an effort to connect related information, but control is inconsistent, and many sentences contain errors in agreement, articles, plurals, or sentence construction. Examples include “percentage change in price of nickel metal was,” “as compare to other two metal,” and “it climb to 3%… then it fall.” Punctuation is also weak: the overview lacks a final full stop, and the long nickel sentence is difficult to parse. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and subject–verb agreement, and divide complex descriptions into shorter sentences with clear punctuation.

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

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