Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-01

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)

This table illustrate the survey of staff which was conducted by national newspaper to know which companies were best for work. At the first position staff numbers were about 56 and at 5th position staff numbers were about 190. Meanwhile at second, third and fourth position staff numbers was in-between 70 to 80.

At 1st position male and female ratio was 30:70 and this ratio was quietly increased to the 47:53, 74:26 at second and third position and then it decline to the 13:87 at 4th position then again rise up to the 51:49 at 5th position. Staff under age of 35 was 77% at 1st, 59% at 2nd, 82% at 3rd, 26% at 4th and 93% at 5th position. Staff turnover and staff in high income bracket was 5% and 34% at 1st position, 18% and 48% at 2nd, 8% and 74% at 3rd, 13% and 5% at 4th and 33% and 2% at 5th position.

This kind s of surveys helps staff to know which companies are best for their work and which companies paid them good amount and also which companies take care them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response identifies the main features of the table, such as staff numbers, gender ratios, age demographics, and income brackets. However, the reporting is largely a list of data points rather than a cohesive summary. While you have selected key information, the lack of meaningful comparisons makes the report feel mechanical. For example, simply listing the percentages for each company does not highlight the 'best' features or significant trends effectively. To improve, you should group the data logically and focus on identifying the most striking differences or similarities between the companies rather than transcribing every figure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is disjointed. You rely heavily on listing data, which creates a repetitive structure. Cohesive devices are limited and sometimes misused, such as 'meanwhile' used to connect unrelated data points. The final paragraph is unnecessary as it provides a personal opinion about the survey rather than summarising the data, which is not required in an Academic Task 1. To improve, use transition words like 'In contrast', 'Similarly', or 'Conversely' to link your observations and ensure the progression of ideas is logical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, often relying on the same phrases like 'at 1st position' or 'staff numbers'. There are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'quietly increased' (likely meant 'quite' or 'steadily') and 'this kind s of surveys'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the data with precision. To reach a higher band, you should use a wider variety of verbs to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'peaked', and avoid repeating the same sentence structures throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('staff numbers was', 'this table illustrate') and incorrect verb tenses ('this ratio was quietly increased', 'then it decline'). The sentence structures are simple and often lack the necessary articles or prepositions. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors impacts the overall readability. To improve, focus on basic subject-verb agreement and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent when describing data from a table.

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