Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line graph illustrates the monthly price changes between Copper, Nickel and Zinc dring 2014.

Nickel started an the most expensive metal amoung these 3 but experience massive price drops and became the cheapest buy the end of the year, whereas Copper and Zinc started as relatively cheaper options but remained virtually unchanged by the end of the year.

In january, Zinc started as the cheapest metal with Copper just above it and Nickel was six times more expensive then Zinc. At the start of next month, Nickel and Copper declined by 20% and 10% relatively, whereas Zinc recorded a 20% increase. From months Feburary to June,the prices for all of the metals declined gradually and started to increase again from July. For three months (July, August and September) the prices remained unchanged at -10%, 5% and 10% for Nickle , Zinc and Copper respectively. October faced a slight decrease in the prices before they hiked in November and December. At the end of the year Nickel faced the largest price decrease standing 50% below than where it started, whereas Zinc and Copper did'nt changed much from where they started by closing at 10% and 5% experiencing 10% increase and almost 3% decrease respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad contrast between nickel’s sharp decline and the more stable copper and zinc, and you include several monthly comparisons. However, the response only partially reports the graph accurately. It describes nickel as becoming the “cheapest” by year-end, although its monthly change is about +1%, while copper is around +1.5% and zinc +2%. The account also misreads the scale as percentages of starting prices: for example, the July–September figures are changes of roughly −1%, −0.5%, and +1%, not −10%, 5%, and 10%. The overview that copper and zinc were virtually unchanged is also not supported by the final monthly changes. Select the main peaks, troughs, and overall pattern, and distinguish monthly percentage changes from cumulative price levels.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a broad overview, and a paragraph moving through the months. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the progression becomes difficult to follow when several periods and comparisons are compressed into long sentences, particularly the sentence beginning “From months February to June.” The sequence “October… before they hiked in November and December” is also too general to clarify which metals changed. Some linking is present (“whereas,” “At the start,” and “At the end”), but the time references and comparisons are not consistently organised. Group the metals’ main trends into clearer stages, and use separate sentences to report the major movements and end-of-year comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant graph vocabulary, including “declined,” “increase,” “price decrease,” and “remained unchanged,” and attempt more descriptive expressions such as “hiked.” However, word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less precise. “Most expensive metal” is not appropriate for a graph of monthly percentage changes, and “prices… declined gradually” does not accurately describe every series. There are also misspellings such as “dring,” “amoung,” “Feburary,” and “Nickle,” alongside awkward phrases such as “cheapest buy the end” and “50% below than.” Use precise terms such as “monthly change,” “fell,” and “recovered,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast clause with “whereas” and a time clause beginning “At the start of next month.” The main message is generally recoverable, but errors recur in verb forms, articles, agreement, and sentence construction. Examples include “Nickel… experience massive price drops,” “Zinc started as the cheapest,” and “Copper and Zinc did'nt changed much”; these should use consistent past-tense forms and correct auxiliary patterns. The sentence beginning “For three months” also lacks a clear grammatical relationship between the months and the figures. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, especially around commas. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build shorter, controlled comparisons before adding more complex clauses.

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