Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-27

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 represents detailed information on how the prices of the metals copper, zinc and nickel fluctuated in 2014. There is no general trend or anything specific for any of them and all of them vary from metal to metal and the month that is being looked at.

It can be seen that the values of percentage increase compared to the previous month remain very close to each other ofr all three of the metals. From March to May the value for all three are between the upper bound capped at 2% and the lower bound being at -1%. Or nickel and zinc experiencing a decrease from May to June and copper and zinc experiencing an increased value in the last month.

Nickel for examle starts off pretty high in the first month, January. The percentage change in contrast to the previous month is at 6% and this drastically falls until June, stays constant for 3 months and falls even more, then going back upwards.

Comparing this to copper for example which begings with 2% and staying in a range on -1% and two the change for copper is very huge. Though, both end up on a value lower than what they started at, in the beginning of the year. However, zinc is an exception to this it. I experiences a medium amount of change overall but ends up at a value of 2% whereas starting at 1%. A common trait for all three is how the percentage increase in contrast to the previous month remains constant from months July to September.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the three metals and mention several relevant features, including nickel’s high January figure, its sharp fall, and zinc’s rise towards the end. However, the response only partially summarises the graph: the overview says there is “no general trend,” rather than highlighting the shared mid-year decline and recovery in November and December. Some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. For example, copper and nickel both finish below their January levels, but zinc does not remain at 2% throughout the final month; it rises from about 1.5% in November to 2% in December. The claim that all three values are “very close” is also not true in January and February. Select the main patterns and support them with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to comments on nickel, copper and zinc. This gives the reader some organisation, and comparison phrases such as “Comparing this to copper” help connect the metals. However, there is no clear overall progression because the overview is vague and later points repeat or conflict with it. The sentence about March to May is difficult to follow, and “A common trait for all three” introduces a detail that is not clearly linked to the preceding comparison. Use a concise overview, then group the data into meaningful stages—such as the early months, mid-year decline and year-end recovery—and use clear references between those stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of terms for describing a graph, including “fluctuated,” “percentage change,” “drastically falls,” and “stays constant.” These choices show some ability to vary vocabulary beyond basic increase and decrease. However, several expressions are imprecise or awkward for formal data reporting: “detailed information on how,” “the value … remain very close,” and “the change for copper is very huge.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “ofr,” “examle,” and “begings,” which reduce accuracy. Prefer precise terms such as “monthly percentage change,” “declined sharply,” and “varied within a narrow range,” and check spelling carefully. Avoid describing a change as “huge” when the graph provides measurable differences.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons introduced by “whereas” and “though.” Some sentences communicate the intended meaning, such as the description of nickel’s fall from January to June. However, errors in sentence structure and agreement are frequent enough to make several passages difficult to interpret. For example, “the value for all three are” has subject–verb disagreement, while “Or nickel and zinc experiencing a decrease” is a fragment. “I experiences” also has an incorrect verb form, and the sentence beginning “Comparing this to copper” is not grammatically complete. Build complete sentences around each comparison, check singular and plural agreement, and use consistent past-tense forms when describing the 2014 data.

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