Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 graph illustrates the change in average monthly price of Copper, Nickel and Zinc in 2014.

Overall, the price of of every metal was high , which decreased over the period of time.In january 2014, the Nichel was at its highest point, followed by Copper which was also at its higest point through out the year, where as Zinc rose only 1% throught the year.

In start of 2014, Nickel and Copper was at the hight point.In the subsquential months the price of Nickel drastically dropped from 6% to -3% by the month of June.In addition with that price of Copper also dropped from 2% to -0.5% , followed by Zinc whic price was also dropped from 1% to -1% by the month of June.

After June 2014, the overall price started increasing.By the end of Decenmber, Nickel rose from -3% to 1% followed by Copper and Zinc which was increased from -0.5% to 1.5% and -1% to 2% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the three metals and give a broad account of the sharp fall in nickel and the later recovery, with useful comparisons between their June and December figures. However, the overview is not fully accurate: “the price of every metal was high, which decreased” suggests a general decline, whereas copper and zinc also rose at several points and all three recovered towards year-end. The claim that copper was at its highest point throughout the year is also incorrect; its peak was in January, and it later reached 1.5% in December. Some key patterns are under-reported, particularly zinc’s early rise to 3% in February and nickel’s strong early decline. A more precise overview and accurate selection of major fluctuations would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by an account of the first half of the year and then the recovery after June. This makes the main sequence easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “In addition” and “By the end of December” help connect comparisons, and the final sentence brings the three metals together. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear, as in “In addition with that,” and the overview’s claim of a general decline conflicts with the later description of recovery. The repeated use of “followed by” also makes comparisons sound formulaic. Use clearer time-based grouping and ensure the overview accurately previews the details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “drastically dropped,” “rose,” and “increasing,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “the price … was high,” “at the hight point,” and “price … was also dropped.” Spelling errors—including “Nichel,” “higest,” “throught,” and “Decenmber”—are noticeable and reduce precision. Aim for a more varied set of accurate trend expressions, such as “fell sharply,” “reached a peak,” “declined to,” and “recovered to.” Check spelling carefully and use “percentage change” rather than implying that the metals’ prices themselves were high.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “followed by” and a time clause beginning “By the end of December.” However, errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships difficult to interpret. For example, “the price of of every metal was high, which decreased” has faulty repetition and an unclear relative clause; “Nickel and Copper was” has subject–verb disagreement; and “which was increased” uses an incorrect passive form. There are also problems with articles, sentence boundaries and punctuation, such as the missing space after “time.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and agreement, and build complex sentences around clear subjects and verbs before adding comparisons.

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