Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-10

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 prices change in three metals namely Copper, Zinc and Nickel in year 2014.

Overall, the proportion of Nickel was the highest in month of January, while Zinc was the lowest, however, by the end of December Zinc price reached at the highest as compared with Copper and Nickel.

To began with, in January Copper was at just 2% and this kept fluctuated between 1% and -1%, till the June. It steadily increased to 1% and remained stable to the month of September. By the December it reached to nearly 2%, which was the similar to their starting month. Turning to Nickel metal, it was the lowest (1%) in January as compared with other metals, it increased gradually to 3% by February. By month of June it dropped to -1% and remained stable till October. It surged to 2% in December and that took the highest place as compared to Copper and Nickel.

In January the proportion of Nickel was higher at 6%, whereas it plummeted to 1% in next two month. The significant declined was shown between April and October, it surged -2% to 1% respectively in November and remained similar in December, however, it was the lower than Copper and Zinc.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the chart’s general subject and attempts an overview, but key features and comparisons are not reported reliably. The overview says nickel was highest in January and zinc lowest, which is broadly accurate, but the claim that zinc finished highest is incorrect: zinc ended at about 2%, while copper was around 1.5% and nickel around 1%. Several figures and trends are also confused. For example, copper did not fluctuate between 1% and −1% until June; it was about 2% in January and fell to roughly −0.5% in May and June. The account of nickel is repeated and contradictory, and the final paragraph misattributes its January peak. Select the main movements accurately, avoid repetition, and compare the metals consistently.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, and sequencing phrases such as “Overall,” “To began with” and “Turning to” help signal stages. However, progression is weakened by the repeated and confusing treatment of nickel: it is discussed in the second paragraph and then introduced again in the final paragraph. The final sentence also says nickel was lower than copper and zinc, despite the preceding claim that it reached the highest place. Some references, including “it” and “that,” are unclear because several metals or changes are possible antecedents. Organise the body by clear time periods or by metal, and use linking and reference words only when their meaning is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses a reasonably varied set of trend vocabulary, including “steadily increased,” “remained stable,” “plummeted” and “surged,” which is appropriate for describing a line graph. Meaning is generally recoverable, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “the proportion of Nickel,” “prices change,” and “reached at the highest.” “Fluctuated” is also used for copper even though the figures mainly show a decline followed by a modest recovery. These choices reduce precision, particularly when the data itself is already difficult to follow. Use standard chart language such as “monthly percentage change,” “price rose/fell,” and “recorded the highest figure,” and reserve strong verbs like “plummet” for substantial falls.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses joined with “while,” “whereas” and “however,” and the overall meaning can usually be understood. Some grammatical errors remain, especially in articles, verb forms and sentence construction. Examples include “in year 2014,” “To began with,” “this kept fluctuated,” and “By the December it reached.” The sentence beginning “The significant declined was shown” also has an incorrect noun form and passive construction, while several long sentences join contrasting ideas with commas rather than clear punctuation. These errors do not consistently prevent understanding, but they make the account less controlled. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build complex sentences with clear clause boundaries.

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

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