Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-04

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 shows the average monthly change in the prices of three metals during a period of one year. Overall, the graph highlights the increase and decrease recorded in the period of 12 months. As seen in the graph Nickel fell to it all time lowest in june before oscillating between july to October. Copper, Nickel and Zink all dropped in price between march to july 2014. The three metal in question were stable between the month of July to October. However, the three metals oscillated downwards between the month of February to May. Additionally, Nickel whose price value was 6 at the beginning of 2014 saw a dramatic decreae which reduced it value to 1 in December 2014. Copper whose inital price value was 2 dropped overtime to 1.5 over the period of one year. The third metal zinc made a slight gains after a turbulent price variation from 1 in January to 2 at the end pf the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include several relevant figures, such as nickel’s January peak of 6 and its December value of 1, as well as copper’s opening value of 2 and zinc’s rise from 1 to 2. However, the overview is too general and some key trends are misreported. Nickel reaches its lowest point in June, but the claim that all three metals fell from March to July is inaccurate: copper rises from May to July, while zinc falls. Likewise, the metals were not all stable from July to October, since nickel changes and copper and zinc also vary. To strengthen the response, give a clear overview of the contrasting patterns and select accurate comparisons across the year.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, broad trend statements, and then details about each metal. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Additionally” help signal relationships between points. Nevertheless, the progression is not consistently clear because several claims repeat or conflict with one another—for example, the metals are described as both falling from March to July and stable from July to October. The information also shifts between metals without a clear grouping, and the overview does not effectively guide the reader through the main stages. Organise the report into a concise overview followed by logically grouped comparisons, such as the first half of the year and the later recovery.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “average monthly change,” “oscillating,” “dramatic decrease,” and “turbulent price variation.” These choices show an attempt to describe movement rather than simply list figures, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “fell to it all time lowest” and “made a slight gains” do not express the trends naturally, while “oscillated downwards” is awkward. There are also spelling errors, including “decreae,” “inital,” and “pf,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise chart language such as “reached a low,” “fluctuated,” “declined,” and “recovered,” and check spelling and singular/plural forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including clauses beginning with “However” and “whose,” so there is some structural variety. Most of the intended meaning can be followed, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms remain noticeable. For example, “Nickel fell to it all time lowest” has an unclear possessive construction, and “Copper whose inital price value was 2 dropped overtime” lacks punctuation to separate the introductory clause. There are also problems with articles and number agreement in “The three metal” and “a slight gains,” as well as inconsistent capitalisation of metal names. Use complete, clearly punctuated sentences, check singular and plural agreement, and form possessives accurately.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.