Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The table below gives information about the five small companies in Britain that came top in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to find out which companies are the best to work for.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

THE FIVE BEST SMALL COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

THE FIVE BEST SMALL COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

Student answer (Band 4.5)

The table below contains the information about the five small compaines in Britain . The information of the compaines that came on top as best to work for in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to find out it .

The table contain the information about the companies in five fields . That fields are staff numbers means the number of staff work in the company . First company have 56 staff number , Second one have 79 , third one have 72 , with that the fourth one have 76 and at last the fifth company have 190 staff numbers . The second field is based on the ratio of male and female employess . First company have 70 percent females and 30 percent males , Second one have almost equal percent of male and female employss with 5 percent high in female percentage , third company have 74 percent male employess and 26 percent females . Fourth companu have almost 87 percent female staff and 23 percent male . At last fifth company have ratio of 51 :49.The third field is about the age of the employess . Means how much number of employess in the staff are below 35 and over 55 . The first company have 77 percent of staff nuder 35 with 0 percent over 55 , Second company have 59 percent of it's employ under 35 with oe percent over 55 , now the third one have 82 by 0 , fourth one have 26 percent of it's staff

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response3.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the table’s subject and reports several relevant figures, including staff numbers and the male–female ratios for the first three companies. However, it does not provide a clear overview of the main patterns, and it stops partway through the age data. Important information on staff turnover and the high-income bracket is not reported, while the fourth company’s male share is given as 23% rather than 13%. The fifth company’s age profile and the remaining age figures are also omitted. The opening largely repeats the task wording instead of summarising the results. To improve, select the most notable contrasts, give an overview, and cover the table’s key categories accurately rather than describing each field at length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some basic organisation: the response moves from staff numbers to gender ratios and then to age, and phrases such as “The second field” signal a change of topic. However, the writing reads mainly as a sequence of explanations and figures rather than a clearly shaped summary. The opening repeats the prompt, and the final sentence is unfinished, leaving the age section without a conclusion or transition to other data. Repeated labels such as “First company” and “Second one” also make the progression mechanical. Grouping the most important comparisons into a short overview and two focused paragraphs, with clear links between related figures, would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses enough basic vocabulary to identify the table’s categories, including “staff numbers,” “ratio,” “females,” and “under 35.” However, word choice and spelling are often inaccurate or repetitive, which limits precision. Examples include “compaines,” “employess,” and “companu,” as well as the awkward phrase “the information of the companies.” “The table contain” and “staff number” also show imprecise forms or collocations. Repeating “company” and “field” makes the description sound formulaic. Use standard terms such as “employees,” “workforce,” and “proportion,” and describe the data directly—for example, “the first-ranked company employs 56 people.” Proofreading spelling and choosing natural collocations would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can generally identify the intended comparisons. However, grammatical errors occur repeatedly in basic sentence patterns. For example, “The table contain” should be “The table contains,” and “First company have” should be “The first company has.” Articles and plural forms are often missing or inconsistent, as in “Second one have” and “the number of staff work in the company.” Some sentences are awkwardly joined with commas, and the final sentence is incomplete: “fourth one have 26 percent of it's staff.” Aim for complete sentences, consistent subject–verb agreement, and accurate articles and possessives. Shorter, carefully checked sentences would help establish control before adding more complex structures.

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