Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-08

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 graph illustrates the average monthly chance in the price of three metals during the year 2014.

There is a graph that shows us the change in price of three metals copper,nickle and zink compared with previous months.There is a major decrease in 2 metals copper and nickle from january to feburary nickle came along at 4 from 6 and the copper is below 1 at the first month and at that time zinc was increasing its prices and came along 3 from 1.In next 4 months theres a regular decrease in prices of all these metals and at 5th month zinc at rate 1, nickle between 1 and 0 and copper below zero. At the next month nickles market crashes at goes strainght at minus three where copper was stable and zinc also decreases some at at a minus one. At the next month metals change their directions came at and stayed stable for three to four months and at the end of year market goes up and came to neutral.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies some relevant movements, including nickel’s fall to about −3% in June and zinc’s rise from roughly 1% to 3% early in the year. However, it only minimally fulfils the summary task: there is no clear overview of the main pattern, and several descriptions are inaccurate or too vague. For example, copper does not show a major decrease from January to February; it falls from about 2% to 1%. The claim that all three metals decreased regularly over the next four months is also misleading, as zinc and nickel follow different paths. The ending says prices became “neutral,” although nickel and zinc rise to positive changes in November and December. Select the main trends accurately and summarise them clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some chronological sequencing, with phrases such as “In next 4 months,” “At the next month,” and “at the end of year” guiding the reader through the timeline. However, the response is presented as one long paragraph, and the progression is difficult to follow because several stages are compressed into unclear statements, such as “metals change their directions came at and stayed stable.” Connections between comparisons are also weak, and the repeated use of “at the next month” makes the account mechanical. Organise the response into a brief introduction, an overview, and one or two detail paragraphs. Use clearer links to distinguish the early decline, mid-year lows, and late-year recovery.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “decrease,” “increasing,” “stable,” and “crashes,” so the reader can recognise that it describes price movements. However, the range is basic and repetitive, and several choices are inaccurate or informal for an academic graph summary. “Market crashes” overstates a monthly change, while “came along” and “goes up” are imprecise. There are also spelling errors in key terms, including “nickle,” “zink,” and “feburary,” which reduce clarity. Build a more precise set of trend expressions, such as “fell,” “declined,” “recovered,” and “remained steady,” and use “percentage change” or “price movement” consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to combine information into longer sentences, but control of sentence structure is weak and errors frequently make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “At the next month nickles market crashes at goes strainght at minus three” has faulty clause construction, and “at 5th month zinc at rate 1” lacks a clear verb and article. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, particularly in the long middle section, where several movements run together. Most statements rely on simple present-tense forms, with little accurate variety. Practise complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use past-tense reporting consistently, for example: “Nickel fell to about −3% in June, while copper remained below zero.”

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