Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-17

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 4.0)

The graph below illustrates the average monthly change in prices of three metals in 2014. It compares the percentage of price with previous months.

Overall, there are three types of metals discussed in a graph : copper, nickel and zinc. The proportion of Nickel dicreased over the months.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The opening identifies the chart’s subject, but the response does not meaningfully summarise its main features. The overview says only that nickel “dicreased over the months”; this is incomplete and misleading because nickel rose and fell, reaching a sharp low in June before recovering towards the end of the year. No figures or comparisons are reported, and the notable contrast between nickel’s large fluctuations and copper’s relatively small changes is omitted. The response also contains 48 words, well below the required 150, so the task is addressed only minimally. To improve, provide a clear overview of the metals’ contrasting patterns, then select key highs, lows and turning points and support these with approximate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by a separate overview beginning with “Overall.” This gives the reader a simple starting structure. However, the response ends before developing a logical account of the data, so there is no progression through the metals, months or comparisons. The overview repeats the names of the three metals rather than connecting meaningful observations, and there are no linking expressions to guide the reader between trends. Develop the response into a short introduction, a concise overview and one or two paragraphs grouping related changes—for example, the metals’ mid-year falls and their late-year recoveries. Use clear references and transitions to show how each point relates to the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “average monthly change,” “prices,” “percentage” and the names of the metals, so its general subject is understandable. However, the vocabulary is very limited and some choices are inaccurate or imprecise: “the percentage of price with previous months” does not clearly express monthly percentage change, while “proportion of Nickel” is not suitable for describing a price trend. The misspelling “dicreased” also affects accuracy. To improve, use precise chart language such as “percentage change,” “fluctuated,” “fell,” “recovered,” “peaked” and “remained relatively stable.” These terms would help describe and compare the data rather than merely identify the topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response contains a few short, mostly understandable sentence forms, including “The graph below illustrates…” and “The proportion of Nickel dicreased over the months.” This basic control allows the reader to recognise the intended topic. However, the range is narrow, with no developed comparisons or complex structures, and there are errors in sentence construction and article use. In “It compares the percentage of price with previous months,” the relationship between the percentage and the months is not expressed grammatically or clearly. The phrase “in a graph” also needs a more appropriate article and construction. Practise patterns such as “The graph shows the percentage change in prices compared with the previous month” and “While copper…, nickel…,” checking articles and sentence relationships.

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

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