Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-22

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 5.0)

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

Overall, the fifth company have the highest staff numbers of 190. The highest males and females ratios difference is in the first company of 30:70. The companies of under 35s and above 55s are reasonable in fifth company. The staff turnover is more in fifth company .

The fifth company is dominating all the other companies in most of the aspects of the survey. It has a correct staff number ratio of around 51:49.

But, when coming to the staff in high income bracket the third company has the highest percent of 74%.

When comparing all the above data, we can clearly conclude that the fifth company is good and suitable to work with a high rate of benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to provide a comprehensive overview. While it identifies the fifth company as a prominent feature, it neglects to report on the other companies in a structured way, leading to an unbalanced summary. The data selection is somewhat arbitrary, and the report lacks a clear, analytical comparison of the key features provided in the table. The conclusion is subjective ('good and suitable') rather than data-driven, which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. To improve, ensure all categories (staff numbers, gender ratios, age groups, turnover, and income) are systematically compared across all five companies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into short, disjointed paragraphs. The logical progression is weak, as the transition between the general overview and the specific details is abrupt. Cohesive devices are limited and sometimes used incorrectly, such as 'But, when coming to...' which is informal and structurally awkward. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the companies. To improve, use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'In contrast,' 'Furthermore,' 'Conversely') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus that contributes to the overall summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple structures. There are issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'highest males and females ratios difference' and 'the companies of under 35s'. The phrase 'dominating all the other companies' is slightly informal for a report. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate precision or flexibility. To improve, incorporate more academic terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion,' 'percentage,' 'fluctuation,' and 'surpass,' and focus on using precise collocations when describing statistical trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the fifth company have') and article usage (e.g., 'in the first company of 30:70'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and sentence construction. Incorporating more complex structures, such as relative clauses or participial phrases, would help demonstrate a wider grammatical range, provided they are used accurately.

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