Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-13

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 bar chart illustrates the average monthly change in the prices of three metals during 2014.

Let start us, first of all we see nickel in January 2014 it was on 6 top of all in February it came to 4 and in march it came to 1 in apirl it was same and in march it was on 0.5 and in june it was droped to -3 than it again grew next 3 month it was same number in october again droped to -2 than again grew and in november it was come to 1 in december it was on 1.

Next we have copper in january it was n 2 number and than it dropped and at the end os year it was on 1.5 .

The last one is zinc in january it was on number 1 and than it grew in february go to 3 than it drooped and at the last of year it was came to 1.8

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify all three metals and report several relevant figures, including nickel’s high of 6% in January and fall to −3% in June. However, the response gives little overall summary of the main pattern and focuses on a month-by-month account of nickel, while copper and zinc receive only brief, incomplete descriptions. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: nickel is reported as unchanged for three months after June, although it rises from −3% to −1% in July and then stays at −1% through September; copper’s mid-year negative changes are omitted. The final zinc figure is given as 1.8%, rather than approximately 2%. A clearer overview and more balanced, accurate comparisons are needed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the chart and then discusses nickel, copper and zinc separately. Phrases such as “Next we have copper” and “The last one is zinc” help signal these shifts. However, most of the information is packed into one long paragraph, and the repeated “and than” pattern makes the account feel like a list rather than a clearly organised summary. The nickel description is especially difficult to follow because several months and changes run together. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and key details, and group metals or periods to make comparisons easier to follow. More precise linking and punctuation would also improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “average monthly change,” “dropped,” “grew” and “at the end of year,” so the reader can generally identify the trends you mean. However, the vocabulary is basic and repetitive, and several choices or spellings reduce clarity: “it was on 6 top of all,” “it was come to 1,” “drooped” and “droped.” Use more precise language for describing figures and movement, such as “stood at,” “peaked at,” “fell to” and “remained stable.” Also distinguish a price change from the price itself: the graph reports percentage changes, so “the monthly change was 6%” is more accurate than saying the metal “was on 6.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe changes across time, but it relies mainly on simple clauses joined with “and,” and many sentences contain errors that make relationships between events unclear. For example, “Let start us” has an incorrect verb construction, while “in november it was come to 1” combines verb forms incorrectly. Articles and prepositions are also often missing or misplaced, as in “in January 2014 it was on 6 top of all.” Punctuation is limited, producing long run-on sentences. Practise accurate past-tense forms such as “it fell” and “it rose,” and use shorter, correctly punctuated sentences alongside a few controlled comparisons, for example, “Nickel fell sharply, whereas copper changed only slightly.”

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

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