Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-21

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 5.0)

The table illustrate the 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.

Overall, the position in survey of staff numbers had highest figure in 5th, the male ratio was greater in 3rd and female in 1st company. In the figure 93% was under 35 and staff turnover is highest in 5th. The staff who has highest income was 74% in third category.

With regard to the first company, it had highest percentage in under 35s it was top with 77% while the lowest percentage in staff turnover which has only 5%. It increase with the following companies. First company was 30% ratio of male and 70% female. The staff who has highest income was 34%. In second company has 79% staff member who find best to work while the staff turnover was only 18%, the ratio of male and female is 47:53. The staff who was high income was 48% and after increased in third reached to 74%. The under 35s percentage relatively increased in third, it increased to 82% after 59% and it was 26% in fourt and 93% in 5th. The female ration was only 0% after decreased to 1% and was about 8% in 4th.

On the other hand the figure of staff member was 72%, it was increased in 4th to 76and reached to 190%. The staff turnover was 8% after decreasing to 18%. The staff who has in high income bracket was 74% after increased to 48%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to present a clear overview or identify the most significant trends. The information is presented in a fragmented, confusing manner, making it difficult to follow the comparisons. Several figures are misquoted or presented in a way that contradicts the likely data (e.g., mentioning 190% for staff numbers). The report lacks a logical structure to group the five companies effectively, and the lack of clarity in reporting the main features prevents a higher score. To improve, focus on grouping data points logically and ensuring that the figures cited accurately reflect the provided table.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the internal logic within these paragraphs is weak. The progression of ideas is often disjointed, and the use of cohesive devices is mechanical or inaccurate (e.g., 'It increase with the following companies'). Referencing is frequently unclear, making it hard to determine which company or metric is being discussed. The transition between sentences is often abrupt, and the lack of clear signposting makes the overall argument difficult to follow. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the flow of the writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. There is a heavy reliance on basic structures and a lack of precision when describing data. Phrases like 'highest figure' and 'increased' are used repeatedly without variation. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'female ration' instead of 'female ratio' and 'fourt' instead of 'fourth'. The student struggles to use more sophisticated vocabulary to describe trends or comparisons, which limits the ability to convey information clearly. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include terms like 'proportion', 'fluctuated', or 'surpassed' would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The table illustrate', 'It increase'), article usage, and tense consistency. Complex sentence structures are attempted but are often faulty or confusing, such as 'The staff who has highest income was 74% in third category.' Punctuation is also inconsistent. While the meaning can generally be inferred, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would lead to immediate improvement.

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