Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The graph illustrates the average fluctuations in the cost of three metals copper, nickel and zinc during 2014.

Overall, highest change in percentage price occured in January was of nickel and lowest percentage change in cost was also of nickel in the month of June.

In 2014, January the price of nickel was at highest 6 percent, then change slightly drops to 1 percent in March and remain steady before falling to -3 percent in june. The price change of zinc was at 1 percent before significant rise to 3 percent in febuarary and then face a dramatic decline to -1 percent in june before rising in july, after that the change in cost of zince remained steady before reaching same level as of june in octobar, then surged to 2 percent in december.

Moving on, the amount of copper changed declined from Januray to june fro 2 percent to -,5 percent before rising again to 1 percent in July, After that the change in price remain steady uptill september then price change fluctuates and rise again to reach same level as it were when it started to 2 percent in december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the three metals and include relevant movements, especially nickel’s peak of 6% in January and fall to −3% in June, as well as zinc’s rise in February and copper’s recovery later in the year. However, the overview is too narrow: it focuses on the highest and lowest points but does not summarise the broader pattern that all three metals fell around May–June and generally recovered towards the end of the year. Some details are inaccurate or unclear. Copper ends at about 1.5%, not 2%, and its change is not simply steady through September. Nickel’s later recovery to 1% in November is omitted. To strengthen the response, give a clearer overview and report the main stages and comparisons more accurately across all three series.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, with zinc and nickel discussed before copper. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the progression within the long body paragraph is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly the zinc description, which moves through several months using repeated “then” and “after that.” The phrase “Moving on” signals a new paragraph, but the comparisons between metals remain limited. Some references, such as “same level as of June,” are also unclear because the relevant figure or comparison is not stated precisely. Grouping the metals by shared trends and using clearer time markers would make the organisation more coherent and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable set of task-related terms, including “fluctuations,” “significant rise,” “dramatic decline,” “remained steady,” and “surged.” These help describe changes rather than merely list figures. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “the amount of copper changed declined” and “the price change fluctuates and rise again.” Spelling errors—including “occured,” “febuarary,” “zince,” and “octobar”—are noticeable and reduce the precision of the report. There is also repetition of “price,” “change,” and “rise.” Aim for accurate forms such as “price change,” “fell,” and “recovered,” and check spelling carefully. A wider range of precise trend verbs would improve clarity without making the description sound overstated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including sequences linked with “before,” “then,” and “after that.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentences contain multiple grammatical problems that make the relationships between events harder to follow. For example, “Overall, highest change in percentage price occured in January was of nickel” lacks clear sentence structure and articles. In “the price of nickel was at highest 6 percent, then change slightly drops,” the tense shifts and the clause connection is faulty. Subject–verb agreement and verb forms are also inconsistent, as in “the change in price remain steady” and “fluctuates and rise.” Practise forming complete clauses, maintaining past tense throughout, and punctuating long sentences into clearer units.

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