Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-28

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 percentage change in prices of copper, nickel and nickel in 2014 in comparison with previous month.

Overall, it is clear that nickel experienced a significant fluctuations during the period and also it was the highest price in the first three month compared to to copper and zinc. Nickel ended at positive after being negative, which is a recovery. There were no significant changes in the prices of copper. However, it declined at starting months while zinc showed moderate variability.

In January, the price of nickel was 6 percent which was the highest compared to others. However, it declined in the following months and reached -3 percent in June. This was the lowest price in comparison with copper and zinc. In the last months, it ended with 1 percent after being negative.

The price of zinc reached 3 percent in February. Afterwards it started to decline before gaining to 2 percent. In contrast, there were no significant volatility in the prices of copper. Its price fluctuated minimally, remaining between -0.5% and 2.5% throughout the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast between nickel’s large movements and copper’s relative stability, and you report several relevant figures, including nickel’s January peak and June low and zinc’s February high. However, coverage is partial: the overview says nickel was highest in the first three months, although zinc is higher than nickel in February, and the claim that copper declined in the starting months overlooks its later recovery. The account also omits the shared mid-year downturn and the November–December rises in nickel and zinc, which are important features. Some descriptions are imprecise, such as saying nickel “ended at positive” without clearly summarising its final level. Select the main stages more accurately and compare the series directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs describing nickel and then zinc and copper. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “However,” “Afterwards,” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. Cohesion is not always precise, though. The overview moves between nickel, copper and zinc without a clear organising pattern, and “In the last months” does not specify which months or clearly connect to the earlier account. The final paragraph also combines zinc and copper without a strong transition between them. Grouping the metals by their shared mid-year fall and subsequent recovery, or giving each series a consistently structured comparison, would create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage change,” “declined,” “reached,” “fluctuated,” and “recovery,” so the reader can understand the broad trends. However, the range and control are uneven, with several noticeable word-choice or collocation problems. “Significant fluctuations” is awkward in this context, “highest price” is less accurate than describing the highest percentage change, and “no significant volatility” is unnatural phrasing. The introduction also repeats “nickel” where the graph includes copper, nickel and zinc. Aim for precise trend language and natural collocations, such as “the largest monthly increase,” “fell to,” and “remained relatively stable.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple sentences and more complex forms, including contrast clauses with “while” and “although” and a relative clause in “which was the highest.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “nickel experienced a significant fluctuations” has an article–plural mismatch, and “there were no significant volatility” has incorrect agreement and countability. The phrase “it ended with 1 percent after being negative” also has an unclear pronoun reference, while “compared to to” contains a repeated preposition. Check agreement, articles and pronoun references, and proofread for repeated words. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen the response.

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