Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-08

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

Student answer (Band 7.5)

The table provides information about the five highest-ranked small companies in Britain, based on a survey of their staff. It compares the companies according to the number of employees, gender ratio, age distribution, staff turnover and the proportion of employees in a high-income bracket.

Overall, the fifth-ranked company had by far the largest workforce and the highest staff turnover, while the first-ranked company had the lowest turnover. The companies also differed considerably in terms of gender and income levels. Notably, the third company had the highest proportion of high-income employees.

Looking first at the workforce, the fifth company employed 190 people, considerably more than the other four, which had between 56 and 79 employees. In terms of gender, the fourth company had a strong female majority, with 87% women, whereas the third had the highest proportion of men, at 74%. The first company also had a predominantly female workforce, at 70%.

Regarding age, the fifth company had the youngest workforce, with 93% of employees under 35. The third company followed at 82%, while the first had 77%. By contrast, the fourth company had only 26% of staff under 35 and the highest proportion of employees over 55, at 8%.

Finally, staff turnover ranged from just 5% in the first company to 33% in the fifth. The third company had the greatest share of high-income employees, at 74%, compared with only 2% in the fifth company.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have provided a comprehensive summary of the data, effectively highlighting the key features and making relevant comparisons. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the fifth company's outlier status regarding workforce size and staff turnover, and the third company's high-income bracket. The information is accurately reported, and the overview provides a clear summary of the most significant differences between the companies. You have addressed all parts of the task well, ensuring that the data is not just listed but synthesized into a coherent report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by theme (workforce, gender, age, and turnover/income). The progression of ideas is smooth, and you use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'notably', 'by contrast', and 'regarding' to link sentences and paragraphs effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'predominantly', 'workforce', 'bracket', and 'turnover' accurately. The language is precise and appropriate for an academic report. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or nuanced synonyms could elevate the response further. However, the current range is sufficient to convey the information clearly and effectively without any errors in word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The fifth company employed 190 people, considerably more than the other four, which had between 56 and 79 employees.' Punctuation is used correctly, and there are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, reflecting a strong command of English grammar suitable for this task.

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