Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

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

Overall,the three types of metal prices disscused in te graph: copper, nickel and zinc. The price of nickel have fluctuations in all the months. All three metals had price increases at the start of the year but prices fell inthe middle of the year.

In January, nickel price increased the most by 6%. Zinc increased by by 1% and copper by 2%.In feburary, nickel fell to 4% but zinc went up to 3%. From March to June, all th prices went down. In March, copper was 0.5% and the nickel was only 1%. Zinc was 2%.

From July to October, prices were mostly negetive. Copper stayed around 0% to -1%. Nickel stayed low around -2% to -3.5%. Zinc was also negetive between -1.5% to -3%. At the end of the years , prices recovered. In December,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and give a broad overview that prices generally weakened around the middle of the year, which is relevant to the graph. However, the account is only partial and some reported details are inaccurate. For example, copper did not remain between 0% and −1% from July to October; it was about +1% through September and then around +0.5% in October. Nickel was not between −2% and −3.5% throughout that period, and zinc did not fall to −3%. The final sentence begins to describe a recovery but is left unfinished, so the year-end pattern is not fully reported. Select the main turning points accurately and complete the comparison of the metals’ recovery in November and December.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the early and later months. Time markers such as “In January,” “From March to June,” and “At the end of the year” help the reader follow the intended sequence. However, progression is weakened by an incomplete final paragraph and by grouping months together without clearly explaining how the figures change within those periods. The overview also repeats the introduction rather than establishing a clear summary of the main contrasts. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and key stages, and connect comparisons explicitly—for example, contrast nickel’s sharp fall with copper’s relatively modest changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “increased,” “fell,” “fluctuations,” and “recovered,” so the general subject is understandable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice or spelling errors reduce precision: “the changing in percentage” is awkward, while “disscused,” “feburary,” “negetive,” and “int he” are misspelled. Phrases such as “stayed low” and “prices went down” are also vague for describing a line graph. Aim for accurate terms such as “percentage change,” “declined,” “remained stable,” and “rebounded,” and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish a small fluctuation from a substantial fall.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most sentences use simple past-tense reporting, and the basic meaning is usually recoverable. However, grammatical errors occur frequently, and the range of sentence structures is limited. Examples include “The price of nickel have fluctuations,” where the subject and verb do not agree and the construction is faulty, and “all th prices went down,” which lacks a clear, accurate noun phrase. Missing spaces after punctuation and inconsistent comma use also interrupt reading. The final “In December,” is an incomplete sentence, leaving the thought unfinished. Practise accurate past-tense comparisons and complete clauses, such as “Nickel fell sharply in June, whereas copper remained close to zero.” Then proofread for agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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