Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-16

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 graph compares the average monthly alterations in the cost of three metals during a period of 2014.

Overall,nickel accounts for the most change among others in first month while zinc represents the least alter in price.

First of all nickel constituted 6% in January whereas copper at its peak shows 2% which is 3 times lower than nickel and zinc represents 1 % change in price.

On other hand zinc was at its peak in February whereas nickel gained its highest change in January .In june nickel made up least change

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify some relevant opening figures: nickel is highest in January at about 6%, copper is around 2%, and zinc is about 1%; you also note zinc’s February peak. However, the response addresses the graph only minimally. It stops after a brief comment about June and omits the major pattern across the remaining months, including the metals’ declines around June, their later recovery, and the end-of-year figures. The claim that copper is at its peak in January is inaccurate, since it reaches a higher value in December. The overview is also unclear and does not summarise the overall movement. The response is 92 words, below the required 150, leaving the task substantially incomplete. Select the main trends and comparisons, then support them with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then details, and phrases such as “Overall,” “First of all,” and “On other hand” signal relationships. However, the progression is limited and the final sentence is incomplete, so the account does not develop through the year or reach a clear conclusion. Some links are also unclear: the contrast between zinc’s February peak and nickel’s January peak repeats information rather than advancing the comparison. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main details, and group the figures into meaningful stages, such as the early-year highs, mid-year falls, and late-year recovery. This would make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “average monthly,” “cost,” “peak,” and “change in price,” so the topic is generally recognisable. There are also attempts at more formal reporting language, such as “constituted” and “represents.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise: “monthly alterations in the cost” is less suitable than language describing price changes, and “least alter in price” is unclear. “Nickel accounts for the most change” does not clearly convey that it had the highest monthly increase. The range is also narrow, with repeated use of “change” and “price.” Build a small set of accurate trend verbs and comparison phrases, such as “rose,” “fell,” “recovered,” “peaked at,” and “was higher than,” and use them consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes a few simple sentence patterns and attempts a contrast with “whereas,” but the range is limited and errors recur. For example, “Overall,nickel” lacks a space after the comma, and “On other hand” is missing the article in the fixed phrase “On the other hand.” The sentence beginning “First of all nickel constituted…” has unclear clause structure and punctuation, making the comparison difficult to process. The final clause, “In june nickel made up least change,” is also incomplete in its grammatical framing. Capitalise month names and use full stops to separate complete ideas. Practise forming clear comparison sentences, for example: “Nickel rose by 6% in January, while copper increased by 2%.”

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