Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-11

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 graph shows the average change in prices of three metals on monthly basis in year 2014. The 3 metals are copper, nickel and zinc. Lets summarise this.

Fisrt metal is copper. Its % change in price is 2% in Janruary and after that its dropping constantly til march and it dropped 1.5%. However, the maximum drop in the price of copper is till -0.5% which is in the month of May and after that it starts increasing and in the month of july it reached to 1% and remained on it till September and in the month of december it is in 1.5%.

Then, the second metal is nickel. It has the highest percentage among all three metals which is 6% in January and then it drop drastically to 1% in March and the again to -3% in June. Then increased and remain constant for three month on -1% till September. And at the end of year it on 1%.

The last is metal is zinc. It starts on 1% and highest it reached is to 3% in the month of February. Later on it starts dropping for four month and reached to -1% in June. And at the end of year in December its on 2% change in price.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify all three metals and report several key movements, including nickel’s high starting point and sharp fall, and the metals’ recovery towards the end of the year. However, the response only partially fulfils the task because it lacks a clear overview of the main patterns and relies on separate descriptions of each line. Some details are inaccurate: copper falls to about 0.5% by March, not by 1.5%, and its lowest point is around -0.5% in May and June; zinc does not keep dropping for four months, as it rises from 1.5% in April to 1% in May before falling. Include a concise overview and compare the metals’ contrasting changes more accurately to develop the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from copper to nickel and then zinc, and words such as “However,” “Then” and “Later on” help signal changes. This gives the reader some organisation, but the report has no distinct overview and the repeated metal-by-metal format does not build a clear comparison across the graph. Several transitions are also awkward or incomplete, such as “Then increased and remain constant” and “And at the end of year it on 1%.” Use a separate overview paragraph, group related trends where possible, and connect comparisons explicitly—for example, contrast nickel’s steep fall with copper’s smaller decline. This would make progression clearer and reduce the list-like effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms for describing data, including “percentage,” “dropping,” “increasing,” “reached” and “remained constant,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, the vocabulary is limited and some choices are imprecise or repetitive: “highest percentage” does not specify that nickel has the highest monthly price change, while “maximum drop” is unclear for copper. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “Fisrt,” “Janruary” and “til,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise trend language and vary your reporting verbs, while checking spelling carefully. Phrases such as “declined,” “fell to a low of” and “recovered” would suit this graph.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts longer sentences with time clauses and sequencing, for example, “after that it starts increasing” and “in the month of July it reached to 1%.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward or difficult to follow. Examples include “on monthly basis,” “the again to -3%,” “Then increased and remain constant,” and “at the end of year it on 1%.” These show problems with articles, sentence completeness, verb forms and tense consistency. Use complete sentences with a consistent past tense for the 2014 data, and check that each clause has a subject and a correctly formed verb. More accurate simple structures should come before adding complexity.

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