Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-24

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 demonstrates companies that are best for workers to serve them.

These are 5 small companies that had different positions of survey from their numbers of staff members to their income brackets.

Data shows more number of staff members with under 35 years of age had a great turn over despite their male to female ratio as shown in group 5 but there is decline in their income bracket

The highest income bracket is from group 3 which is 74% due young and more energetic staff members.

The lowest income bracket stands for group 5 with only 2%.

Male to female ratio also had a impact on companies as shown in group 5.Staff turnover is highest in group 5 with 33% and lowest in group 1 with 5%.

In conclusion more energetic and young staff will play their role in company progress and less staff below 35 years of age had small impact in company progress.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the table but fails to provide a clear overview or a logical selection of data. While it mentions some figures, the analysis is disjointed and lacks a coherent comparison of the five companies. The interpretation of the data is often inaccurate or confusing, such as the claim that group 3's income bracket is 74% 'due to young and energetic staff,' which is a subjective assumption not supported by the data. The response lacks a clear summary of the main features, focusing instead on isolated, poorly explained statistics.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a logical structure. The paragraphs are poorly defined, and the progression of ideas is difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly, such as the abrupt transition between the discussion of staff turnover and the conclusion. The referencing is unclear, making it difficult for the reader to understand which data points relate to which companies. The conclusion does not effectively summarise the main points but instead introduces a subjective opinion about 'company progress' that was not clearly established in the body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'more number of staff' and 'had a impact' are grammatically incorrect and demonstrate a lack of precision. The student struggles to use appropriate terminology for describing data (e.g., 'income bracket' is used in a way that is confusing). There is little attempt to use less common lexical items, and the word choices often impede the clarity of the report. To improve, the student should focus on using precise terms for describing trends and statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('Male to female ratio also had a impact'), article usage, and sentence structure. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. Complex sentences are attempted but are often faulty or unclear. Punctuation is also inconsistent, which further impacts the readability of the text. A greater focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors is necessary.

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