Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-17

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 compares five small companies in Britain that ranked highest in a national newspaper’s survey of staff, providing information on their workforce size, gender distribution, age profile, staff turnover and the proportion of employees in the high-income bracket.

Overall, Company 5 had by far the largest workforce and the youngest staff, while Company 3 stood out for having the highest proportion of employees in the high-income bracket. By contrast, Company 4 had the highest staff turnover and the greatest proportion of employees aged over 55. The gender balance also varied considerably among the five companies.

In terms of workforce size, Company 5 employed 190 staff, substantially more than the other four companies, whose workforces ranged from 56 to 79. Company 2 had the second-largest staff, with 79 employees, followed by Companies 4 and 3, at 76 and 72 respectively. Company 1 had the smallest workforce, at just 56. The male-to-female ratio differed markedly: women considerably outnumbered men in Companies 1 and 4, at 70% and 87% respectively, whereas Company 3 had a predominantly male workforce, with men accounting for 74%.

The companies also differed significantly in terms of age and staff retention. Company 5 had the highest proportion of employees under 35, at 93%, followed by Company 3 at 82%. In contrast, only 26% of Company 4's employees were under 35, while it had the highest proportion aged over 55, at 8%. The remaining companies had virtually no staff in this older age group. Staff turnover was lowest at Company 1, at 5%, while Company 5 recorded the highest figure, at 33%. Finally, Company 3 had the greatest share of staff in the high-income bracket, at 74%, compared with just 5% in Company 4 and 2% in Company 5.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have provided a comprehensive and accurate summary of the data. You successfully identified the main features, such as Company 5's workforce size and age profile, and Company 3's high-income bracket. The comparisons are well-integrated, and you have effectively highlighted the key differences between the companies. All parts of the prompt are addressed, and the data is used to support your observations throughout the report. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the trends observed in the table.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'By contrast', 'In terms of', and 'whereas', which help to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories of data, making the information easy to follow. The transition between the overview and the detailed body paragraphs is smooth, and the referencing is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases such as 'substantially more', 'differed markedly', and 'predominantly male workforce' show a good level of precision. You have used topic-specific vocabulary correctly, such as 'workforce size', 'gender distribution', and 'staff turnover'. The language is natural and precise, and there are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your writing displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses and comparative structures. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and tense usage is excellent. There are no noticeable grammatical errors that distract the reader. The use of varied sentence structures contributes to the overall fluency and readability of the report.

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.