Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-14

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 gives information on the mean changes in price per month of three metals( copper, zinc and nickel) in 2014. price change is measured in percentage

Overall, the prices of the three metals were constantly changing throughout the course of the year. the prices of zinc, copper and nickel suffered significant decline in the first half of the year. june marks a turning point month as all three metals appreciated in prices until july.

Zinc and copper follow a similar price change trend. at the beginning of the year, both had lower percentage prices change of 1 and 2 percents respectively from the previous year. although zinc had a 2% increase in price in the first month, both eventually declined in price throughout the rest of the year.

the price of nickel on the other hand, depreciated significantly in the first three months by 5 percent. By half of the year, its price fell so much it entered into the negatives and began to rise gradually throughout the second half of he year.

in conclusion, copper tried maintaining a relatively stable price throughout the year as no signiicant rise or fall in price was illustrated while nickel and zinc had varying prices throughout the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and provide an overview, but the account only partially captures the graph’s main features. The claim that all three “suffered significant decline in the first half” is inaccurate: copper and zinc began with positive changes, and nickel’s sharpest fall occurred from April to June. The overview also says all metals appreciated “until July,” whereas copper and zinc were negative in June and nickel remained below zero through October. Some details are useful, such as nickel’s steep early fall and copper’s relative stability, but the description of zinc and copper as following a similar trend is not sustained by the data, especially in the final months. Select the key peaks, troughs and shared movements more accurately, and support the overview with precise comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, separate discussion of copper and zinc and of nickel, and a concluding statement. This makes the information easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “on the other hand,” and “By half of the year” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the progression is weakened by repetition: the conclusion repeats the claim about copper’s stability and the metals’ varying prices without adding a useful comparison. Some references are also unclear, as in “both eventually declined” and “it entered into the negatives,” where the time period or exact series could be stated more explicitly. Organise the body around the metals’ shared turning points and contrasting movements, using links that clarify rather than repeat.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “significant decline,” “turning point,” “appreciated,” “depreciated,” and “relatively stable.” These choices show an attempt to vary your language, and the main meaning is generally clear. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, however: “lower percentage prices change” is awkward, “from the previous year” misrepresents the monthly comparison, and “maintaining a relatively stable price” does not precisely describe percentage changes. There are also spelling and form slips, including “signiicant” and “he year.” Aim for standard graph-description phrases such as “monthly percentage change,” “fell below zero,” and “rose,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “Zinc and copper follow a similar price change trend” and the clause beginning “although zinc had a 2% increase.” Most sentences communicate the intended point, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. For example, “three metals( copper” needs spacing and punctuation, “price change is measured” needs an initial capital and article, and “the prices … suffered significant decline” has an article/plural problem. The sentence “By half of the year, its price fell so much it entered into the negatives” would be clearer with “had fallen so far that it entered negative territory.” Review sentence openings, articles, agreement and punctuation, while keeping the varied sentence structures you already attempt.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.