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

Student answer (Band 5.0)

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

Overall,the 5th company has the highest number and ratio in every survay position but unfortunately they are down by 2 position for not having high number of male and female member and for staff in high income bracket.However,every small company is expected to have same number of staff ,as each company taking lead by just a small number.

The first company gains 56 staff ,and for the male and female ratio they have. 30:40.Likewise,the number of staff under 35 to over55 is 77%/0%,as for staff turnover it is only 5%,also for the staff in high income bracket is 34%.similarly,second company has 79 staff and 47:53 male : female ratio.Then for ages under and over 35&55 they have 59%/1% .They have 18%staff turnover but for the staff high in income they have 48%.

As for the 3rd company they have 72 staff and 74:26 ratio of male and female . And staff under 35 / over 55 they have 82%/0%.Then for staff turn over they have 8% ,while for staff high income they have 74% .Likewise ,4th company have 76 staff,13:87 male and female ratio , 26 %/8% staff under 35 and over 55, staff turnover 13% ,as for staff in high income they have 5%.Now for the 5th company they have the highest number of staff by 190 ,and for the male and female ratio they have 51:49.similarly ,for staff under and over 35/55 they have 93%/0%, staff turnover is 33%0, meanwhile for the staff in high income is only 2%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all five companies and includes relevant data points. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, simply listing figures for each company rather than effectively synthesising the information. The overview provided in the first paragraph is confusing and inaccurate, as it attempts to draw conclusions about the '5th company' that are not clearly supported by the data provided. To improve, focus on grouping the companies by shared characteristics (e.g., highest staff numbers vs. highest income bracket) rather than describing each company in isolation. The summary needs to highlight the most significant trends and contrasts more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and awkward transitions. While cohesive devices like 'likewise' and 'similarly' are used, they are often applied incorrectly or in a way that makes the text feel mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs is disjointed. To reach a higher band, you should vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus rather than just listing data for each company sequentially.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive, relying heavily on phrases like 'they have' and 'staff'. There are also several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'survay' and 'member' (instead of members). The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise terminology to describe trends or data points. To improve, try to use a wider variety of verbs and nouns to describe the data, such as 'account for', 'comprise', 'the proportion of', or 'the figure for'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The following table provide'), incorrect punctuation (missing spaces after commas), and awkward phrasing ('they are down by 2 position'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent and distract the reader. The range of structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and sentence punctuation. Incorporating more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or participial phrases, would also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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