Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-19

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 given line graph provides the information on the average monthly change in prices of three different metals named copper, nickel, zinc in 2014.

Overall, all the three matels prices shows fluctuation over the period.In contrast,in the begning of year prices of nickel matel were high that became lowest at the end of year whereas the prices of were lowest in the start of year that become highest at the end of year.

To begin with, the price of nickel was accounted as the highest in january at 6% which decline sharply till march and reached at 1%.The price of nickel matel merely drop to -0.5 in may and drop dramatically in june, over the period the trend shows a gradual rise and peaked at 1% in november which remain stable in december.

The price of copper were 2% in january, that show merely rise in its price percentage with a dip at -0.5% in june and ends at 1.5% at the end of year.On the other hand,The ratio of zinc price were lowest in january which shows a sharp rise at 3% and begin to drop over the period at l-1% in june.From june to october t, the proportion of zinc matel almost ramained stable and reached at its peak at 2% in december.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the three metals and give a broad overview of contrasting movements, including nickel’s high starting point and zinc’s rise towards the end. You also report several relevant figures, such as nickel at 6% in January and zinc at 3% in February. However, the overview contains a significant factual error: copper does not rise from the lowest starting value to the highest at year-end; zinc is highest in December, while copper ends at about 1.5%. Some details are also inaccurate or unclear: nickel is about 0.5% in May, not -0.5%, and copper’s July-to-September values are around 1%, rather than a continuing rise. Select the main trends more accurately and compare the metals directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing nickel and then copper and zinc. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “To begin with” and “On the other hand” signal transitions. However, the overview’s comparison is difficult to follow because it shifts from nickel to an unnamed metal (“the prices of were lowest”), and the final paragraph combines two series without a clear organising comparison. Some linking is mechanical, and long sentences joined by commas make relationships between details less clear. Use one paragraph for the overview and group the detailed comparisons by shared movement, such as the mid-year decline and late-year recovery.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “fluctuation,” “decline sharply,” “gradual rise,” and “peaked,” which helps describe changes in the graph. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “price,” “drop,” and “over the period,” and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate. For example, “the price of nickel was accounted as the highest” is not a natural way to report a figure, while “ratio of zinc price” does not describe a percentage change. Spelling errors such as “matels,” “begning,” and “ramained” also reduce precision. Build a more accurate set of verbs and nouns for trends, and check spelling and collocations when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including clauses linked with “whereas,” “which,” and “that.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries occur often enough to make some statements difficult to interpret. Examples include “all the three matels prices shows,” “the price of copper were,” and “which remain stable,” where the subject and verb do not agree or the verb form is incorrect. The overview sentence beginning “In contrast” also lacks a clear grammatical subject for the second comparison. Commas are frequently used where a full stop or conjunction is needed. Practise building accurate subject–verb patterns first, then combine clauses while checking agreement and punctuation.

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