Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-06

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 below gives us an insight on the five best small companies to work for in Britain. The survey was conducted by a national newspaper agency.

Overall, the decisive features for the positions of the companies were the lowest staff number and turnover, balanced male: female ratio and staff in high income bracket.

The survey that resulted in the company securing first position had the lowest staff numbers as well their turnover. It was 56 and 5% respectively. Additionally, the male: female staff ratio of 30:70 is also a considerable factor in gaining it's position. The staff in high income bracket was found to be 34% that worked well with other factors. With that, this company als

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully address the task. While you have attempted to identify some main features, the report is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence. To achieve a higher band, you must provide a comprehensive summary that covers all five companies mentioned in the table, rather than focusing only on the first one. You need to ensure that you select and report the key data points for all categories and make meaningful comparisons between the companies to fully satisfy the requirements of an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response shows some basic logical organization, with an introduction and an attempt at an overview. However, the abrupt ending makes it impossible to evaluate the overall progression of the text. Cohesive devices are used in a limited way, such as 'Additionally' and 'Overall', but the lack of completion prevents the development of a coherent structure. To improve, ensure that your response is complete and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly across paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'insight', 'decisive features', and 'turnover' being used correctly. However, the range is limited, and there are minor errors such as 'it's position' (should be 'its'). Because the text is incomplete, it is difficult to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuation', or 'significant disparity', and ensure accurate usage of possessive pronouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are grammatical errors, such as the misuse of the apostrophe in 'it's' and the awkward phrasing 'the survey that resulted in the company securing first position had the lowest staff numbers'. The sentence structure is generally understandable, but the incomplete nature of the text limits the assessment of your grammatical range. Focus on proofreading for basic punctuation errors and ensure that your sentences are complete and grammatically sound.

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

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