Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line graph describes the comparison of average monthly change in the price of three metals, namely copper, nickel and zinc in 2014.

Overall, the price of nickel started significantly well and above the other two metals but due to fluctuations it ended up being at bottom among them. Moreover, copper was in between of other two and it fluctuated a lot and remained stable, Zinc had dramatic turn around started at lowest side and remained unstable throughout but reached at top in the end.

Firstly, nickel has the highest price but it fell drastically remained stable for a while and fell down again but than it starts moving upwards but still ended at the bottom among three. Furthermore, zinc started from bottom but fluctuated a lot and remained stable for a while, although, starting lower from others but still ended up being at the top.

Secondly, copper started in between of nickel and zinc and after having so much fluctuations, it still ended up being at the second point.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the three metals and give an overview of their contrasting movements, including nickel’s strong start and weak finish and zinc’s rise to the highest ending point. These are relevant main features. However, some descriptions are inaccurate or too general: copper did not “fluctuate a lot” but stayed within a relatively narrow range, and it finished above nickel but below zinc. The claim that copper “was in between” is not consistently true across the year. The response also omits key stages and comparisons, such as nickel’s sharp mid-year fall and the metals’ broadly negative changes around June and October. More precise reporting of these trends would make the summary more complete and clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, with nickel and zinc discussed before copper. This gives the reader some organisation. However, progression is limited because the body paragraphs repeat points already made in the overview, particularly that nickel fell and zinc ended highest, rather than developing a clear month-by-month or comparative account. Linking words such as “Firstly,” “Furthermore,” and “Secondly” are used, but they do not always show the relationship between ideas; “although” introduces a clause that does not form a clear contrast. Group the metals’ shared mid-year decline and later recovery, then use comparisons to guide the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “fluctuations,” “drastically,” “stable,” and “ended up,” and the reader can generally understand which metals you mean. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing a graph. “Started significantly well” and “at bottom” do not clearly express the data, while “dramatic turn around” is an informal and awkward description. Repetition of “fluctuated” and “ended up” also reduces precision. Use more exact trend language, such as “recorded the largest increase,” “fell sharply,” “remained relatively steady,” and “finished with the highest monthly change,” ensuring that the wording describes percentage changes rather than absolute prices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a contrast with “although” and clauses linked by “but,” but control is inconsistent. Several sentences contain faulty or incomplete structures, for example, “it fell drastically remained stable for a while and fell down again,” which needs clearer clause boundaries and verb coordination. The overview sentence beginning “Moreover, copper was in between…” joins several ideas without a clear grammatical structure. There are also errors in articles, prepositions, and verb forms, as in “at bottom,” “in between of,” and “than it starts.” These problems sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Build shorter, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses with accurate punctuation and consistent past-tense verbs.

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