Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-20

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)

this line graph tracks the fluctuation in average monthly prices of 3 metals including coper, nickel and zinc with recpect to months in the year 2014.

overall, it can be seen that prices of nickel and coper decline sharply from jan to march while the peice of coper on the other hand increased until feb. however, a clear dip can be observed in the prices of all metals in the month of june where as the prices got stable from jul to sep after which prices of all metals raised again from oct.

it is crystal clear that nickel accounts for highest price change of about 6 percent.among all 3 metals. subsequently, zinc and coper accounts for minimal price change of 1 and 2 percent respectively. lastly zinc accounts for highest price change of 2 percent followed by coper and nickel with 1.5 and 1 percent in the month of december.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and include some relevant comparisons, such as nickel’s peak of about 6% in January and the metals’ December figures. However, the overview is not consistently accurate: nickel and copper do not both decline from January to March, since copper falls gradually while nickel drops much more sharply. The claim that all metals dip in June is broadly supported, but saying they remain stable from July to September overlooks nickel’s distinct negative values and the different levels for each metal. The statement that all prices rise from October is also inaccurate, as nickel falls further that month. Select the main trends more carefully and describe the contrasting movements across the year to make the summary more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to selected figures. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph shifts between the January peak, general comparisons, and December values without a clear grouping of the data. Linking words such as “overall,” “however,” “subsequently,” and “lastly” are used, but some do not accurately signal the relationship between ideas; for example, “subsequently” does not clearly connect the January figures to the later comparison. Organise the body around meaningful stages or contrasts—such as the first half of the year and the recovery near year-end—and use references that make each comparison easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “fluctuation,” “decline sharply,” “dip,” and “stable,” and the reader can generally understand the intended topic. However, the range is limited and several word-choice or spelling problems reduce precision: “peice” and “recpect” are misspelled, while “highest price change” is unclear when you mean the largest monthly percentage change. “Raised again” is also an unnatural choice for describing figures on a graph. Aim for accurate trend language and check spelling carefully; terms such as “rose,” “fell,” “recovered,” and “percentage change” would help you describe the data more precisely and naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a longer overview sentence with a contrast introduced by “whereas.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but control is uneven. For example, “prices of nickel and coper decline sharply” uses a present-tense verb for a completed year, and “zinc and coper accounts” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence beginning “it is crystal clear” also runs into the next statement without appropriate spacing or punctuation, making the comparison difficult to read. Use past tense consistently for the 2014 data, check singular and plural agreement, and separate the figures into complete sentences. More accurate control of these patterns would make your comparisons clearer.

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