Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-15

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 provided line graph illustrats proportion of average price change by month, however it is for three metal such as copper, nickel and zinc in year 2014.

Overall it is quiet relevent, the price of the Nickel has dropped from 6% to -3% by half of the year, Whereas price of copper has quiet stable over the time, same as zinc has some zig zag pattern over the time.

To begin with, Nickel has 6% higher price at starting of janueary and its dropped at -3% by middle of the year, however its grew to 1% by end of the year. In contrast the price of nickel has started at 2% by january and grew almost 1% by end of the year, with minimal changes.

Furtheremore, price of copper at the starting of the year has 1% higher and by end of december it icreased by almost 0.5%, with quiet movement in price.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the three metals and give a broad overview, noting nickel’s sharp fall and copper’s relative stability. However, the report only partially selects and reports the graph’s main features, and some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. The sentence saying nickel “grew to 1% by end of the year” is broadly correct, but the next paragraph mistakenly calls the series starting at 2% “nickel”; that is copper. Copper ends at about 1.5%, not “almost 1%,” while zinc’s rise late in the year is not described. The overview also says zinc has a zigzag pattern without explaining its overall movement. Identify each series accurately and compare the major peaks, falls and year-end recovery.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, an overview and two detail paragraphs, so there is some basic organisation. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the metals are not consistently identified: after discussing nickel, “In contrast” introduces another series but calls it nickel again. The final paragraph then returns to copper, leaving zinc largely unaddressed and the comparison incomplete. Linking expressions such as “To begin with,” “In contrast” and “Furthermore” provide some connections, but they do not always clarify the relationship between the information. Organise the details by metal or by stages of the year, and use clear references such as “copper,” “the latter series” or “by comparison” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “dropped,” “stable,” “minimal changes” and “zig zag pattern,” and the reader can generally understand that you are describing price movements. However, the range is limited and several choices or spellings reduce precision, such as “proportion” for the percentage change, “quiet” where you mean “quite,” and “grew” for a price-change figure. Repetition of “price” and “over the time” also makes the description less flexible. Aim for accurate graph language and collocations, for example “fluctuated,” “fell to,” “recovered to” and “remained relatively stable.” Check spelling carefully, especially for words used repeatedly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer clauses, including a contrast with “however” and a sentence beginning “Whereas.” This shows some variety, but complex sentences are often not controlled successfully. For example, “Overall it is quiet relevent, the price…” joins clauses with a comma, and “Nickel has 6% higher price at starting of janueary and its dropped…” has problems with articles, prepositions and verb form. The sentence beginning “In contrast” also becomes confusing because its subject is not clearly distinguished from the previous nickel sentence. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check articles and tense patterns, such as “Nickel started at 6%” and “its price fell to -3%.”

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

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