Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-21

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 information about the average change in the prices of metals (copper, nickel and zinc) monthly in 2014.

As can be seen from the graph, the price of nickel was the highest in January while it was priced the lowest amongst the other metals in December. In contrast, the zinc had the highest price in December. The price of nickel dropped to its lowest in June.

In January, the price of nickel recorded the highest change in its price which was 6% compared to the copper and zinc. After that, the nickel saw a downshift in its monthly price change as it kept on decreasing to 4% in February and 1% in March while the price was stable till April, the nickel saw the largest drop in its price when it was changed by -3% in June. Although it was able to recover its price in the month of July, it again went down to -2% in October. After which, it saw an incline as the price rose by 1% in November which was same in December ( 1%). The average proportion of change in zinc's price in January was 1% which was the lowest rose to 3% in February. The zinc's price started after February as the average change in price were 2% , 1.5%, 1% and -1% between March and June. It was able to recover its price in July as the proportion change in price reached to -0.5% in July which was the same till September. The price of zinc too saw a decline in October as it was changed by -1%. After that, The prices went upwards and the percentage change in price reached to 1.6% and 2% in November and December respectively.

The copper faced 2% change in its price in January. It saw an decline after January as it reached to 1% change in February, 0.5% in March and April. Similarly, the percentage change in price was -0.5% in March and April. The price of copper remained stable throughout July, August and September (1%). It faced a slight decline in October and November as the change in price reached to -0.5% but in December the price of the copper rose as the percentage of change in price reached to 1.5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify all three metals and report several key movements, including nickel’s January peak and June low, and the general recovery in the final months. However, the overview is not sufficiently accurate: saying nickel was the lowest in December conflicts with the figures, since copper is lower, while zinc—not nickel—has the highest December change. Some details are also misreported: copper’s -0.5% values occur in May and June, not March and April, and its October and November values are about 0.5%, not -0.5%. The response mainly lists monthly figures rather than selecting and comparing the most important patterns. A clearer overview of the metals’ contrasting trajectories, supported by accurate comparisons, would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a brief overview, and separate paragraphs for nickel, zinc and copper. This makes the three series easy to locate, and sequencing expressions such as “After that” and “In contrast” help show time and comparison. However, the progression is often weakened by long, crowded sentences that combine several stages, particularly in the nickel and zinc paragraphs. Some links are also unclear or repetitive, and the overview’s comparison of the highest and lowest metals does not provide a reliable guide to the details that follow. Grouping the metals by shared trends—for example, their mid-year falls and late-year recoveries—and using clearer sentence boundaries would create a more coherent account.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing movement, including “dropped,” “recover,” “decline,” “stable” and “rose.” These choices generally make the trends understandable. However, several expressions are awkward or imprecise for a graph report: “downshift in its monthly price change,” “the zinc’s price started after February,” and “the proportion change in price reached to” do not sound natural. “Price” is also repeated where the graph actually reports percentage changes in price, which can blur the distinction between a price level and its monthly movement. Aim for precise, consistent terms such as “monthly change,” “percentage change,” “fell to” and “remained at”; this would make the description more fluent and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There are attempts at complex sentences and time clauses, and some straightforward sentences are clear, such as “The price of nickel dropped to its lowest in June.” However, errors recur in sentence construction, agreement, articles and punctuation. For example, “the zinc had the highest price” uses an unnecessary article, while “the average change in price were” has subject–verb disagreement. The sentence beginning “After that, the nickel saw…” runs into “while the price was stable till April” without a clear grammatical connection, and “reached to” is an incorrect verb pattern. Several sentences also contain comma splices or inconsistent capitalisation after full stops. Use shorter, controlled sentences and check agreement and verb patterns when editing.

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