Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-29

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 4.0)

The graph provides information about the monthly average change in the cost of three different metals throughtout 2014.

overall, the cost of all three metals fluctuated during the year 2014. Nickle experinced most fluctuation throughout the year 2014 whereas, copper shows stable fluctuation during the whol year.

In comparision of two metals copper and Nickle

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the graph’s subject and offer a broad overview, noting that all three metals fluctuated and that nickel changed more than copper. However, the response stops before it reports the main features in sufficient detail: there are no month-by-month comparisons or figures, and zinc is not discussed at all. The unfinished sentence, “In comparision of two metals copper and Nickle,” does not communicate a comparison. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the task only minimally addressed. To improve, complete the comparison and describe the key stages—for example, nickel’s sharp fall in June and recovery late in the year, alongside the metals’ generally modest changes in other months.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response has a basic sequence: an introduction, an overview, and the beginning of a comparison. This gives the reader some indication of how the answer is intended to develop. However, the final line is an incomplete fragment, so the progression stops abruptly and the comparison is never explained. The overview also combines several ideas without developing them into a clear account of the graph. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the introduction, overview, and detailed comparisons, and connect the information with clear links such as “by contrast” or “later in the year.” Completing each sentence and paragraph would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a graph, including “fluctuated,” “stable,” and “comparison,” and the reader can generally identify the topic. However, the range is narrow, and several spelling errors—“throughtout,” “Nickle,” “experinced,” “whol,” and “comparision”—reduce accuracy. Some phrasing is also imprecise: “stable fluctuation” is unclear because stability and fluctuation suggest different patterns, while “cost” is less suitable than “price” for this chart. Build a more precise set of trend terms, such as “rose,” “fell,” “recovered,” and “remained relatively steady,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes simple sentence forms and attempts an overview, but the grammatical range is limited and control is uneven. In “Nickle experinced most fluctuation throughout the year 2014 whereas, copper shows stable fluctuation,” the tense shifts from past to present, and the comma after “whereas” is misplaced. The final line, “In comparision of two metals copper and Nickle,” is not a complete sentence and lacks the punctuation needed to introduce a comparison. Use the past tense consistently when describing 2014, form complete sentences, and punctuate linking words correctly. A wider mix of accurate sentence structures would help express comparisons more clearly.

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