Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-25

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 line graph illustrates the mean percentage change in price for three metals, copper, nickel, and zinc, across all months of 2014. Overall, Nickel was the most expensive metal in January, while its price certainly dropped, making it the least expensive metal at the end of the year.

Zinc price began with an increase of 1% at the beginning of the year in January; it showed a sharp increase, reaching 3% in a month, then showed a steady decline, reaching back to 1% in May. There was a sharp decline in price in June, reaching -1%, and the price maintained a steady plateau between -1% and 0% till October. There was a sharp increase in price, reaching up to 1.5% in November, and then it steadily increased to 2% by the end of the year.

While copper began with 2% increase in price in January, it gradually decreased and reached to -0.5% by the month of June, had a sudden rise reaching to 1% in the month of July and maintained a plateau for three months till September. Dropped a little till November having 0.5%, and then rose to 1.5% in December.

On contrary, NIckel had highest price in January upto 6%, it showed a drastic decline reaching to 1% in month of April, maintained a plateau and drpped to the lowest

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main metals and describe several important movements, including nickel’s high January figure, zinc’s rise to 3% in February, and copper’s recovery towards the end of the year. However, the overview is inaccurate: the graph shows monthly percentage changes, not absolute prices, so saying nickel was the “most expensive” and later the “least expensive” is unsupported. The account also ends mid-sentence while describing nickel, leaving its major fall to -3% in June and subsequent recovery largely unreported. Some details are imprecise, such as saying zinc stayed between -1% and 0% until October, when it was around -0.5% for several months and fell to -1% in October. A clearer overview of the metals’ contrasting patterns and more complete, accurate reporting are needed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by separate descriptions of zinc, copper and nickel. This makes the first two series relatively easy to follow, and sequencing words such as “then,” “while” and “by the end of the year” help show changes over time. However, the progression is weakened by the unfinished final sentence about nickel, which leaves the account incomplete and disrupts the balance between the three metals. Some linking is also mechanical, with repeated “There was” and “then” constructions. The overview’s comparison of expense does not connect logically to the graph’s measure of monthly change. Finish each series description and use clearer comparisons between their turning points to improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a reasonably varied range of trend vocabulary, including “sharp increase,” “steady decline,” “plateau,” “drastic decline” and “maintained.” These choices show some flexibility and are generally understandable, supporting a clear account of movement. However, several expressions are imprecise or awkward for describing this graph: “most expensive” refers to price levels rather than percentage changes, and “price certainly dropped” is not a natural or precise description. There are also spelling and form slips, including “drpped” and inconsistent capitalisation of “Nickel.” To strengthen precision, use terms such as “monthly change,” “fell,” “recovered” and “remained stable,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning “while” and “reaching,” and most of the trends remain understandable. However, errors recur in sentence construction and grammatical patterns. For example, “reached to -0.5%” should be “reached -0.5%,” while “Zinc price began” needs an article or plural form (“The price of zinc began…”). The sentence “Dropped a little till November…” is a fragment without a clear subject, and the final nickel sentence is also incomplete. Punctuation and clause control are uneven in longer sentences. Practise writing complete sentences with an explicit subject and verb, and check articles, prepositions and sentence boundaries while retaining your attempts at complex structures.

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