Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-05

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 the given information about 5 companies in Britain that came top in a survey of employ conducted by a national newspaper to find which is the best company for work . Overall , the prominent figures is under 35s /over 55s in percentage . Now turning to details , the staff numbers from 1st to 5th position varies from 56 . On 2nd to 4th it varies from 79 to 76 and on 5th position it is 190 . The male and female ratio is highest in different position . The male ratio is highest in 3rd position while female is highest in 4th position . The under 35s is highest in in 5th position and over 55s is lowest in 3rd and 5th position. the staff turnover is also highest in 5th position while the staff in high income bracket is highest in 2nd position and lowest in 5th .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the data but fails to provide a clear overview or accurately report the main features. The overview provided is vague and does not capture the significant trends in the data. Furthermore, the reporting of figures is confusing and inaccurate; for example, stating that staff numbers vary from 56 to 190 is not a clear summary of the specific data points provided for each company. The response lacks a logical selection of key features, and the comparisons are poorly developed, making it difficult for the reader to understand the information presented in the table.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear structure. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the ideas within the paragraphs are not logically sequenced. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inappropriate, such as the abrupt transition 'Now turning to details'. Referencing is often unclear, making it difficult to follow which company or data point is being discussed. The lack of clear signposting and the disjointed nature of the sentences hinder the overall flow of the report, resulting in a lack of clear progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'survey of employ' instead of 'survey of employees' and 'best company for work' instead of 'best company to work for'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with precision. The student relies on basic terms and struggles to use appropriate terminology for describing statistical data, which limits the ability to communicate the findings effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple sentences. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('the 1st to 5th position'), incorrect verb forms ('figures is'), and inconsistent sentence structure. These errors are noticeable and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. The lack of complex sentence structures and the persistent grammatical inaccuracies prevent the response from reaching a higher band score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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