Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-10

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 given table charts depicts the information about the five small businesses in Britain that came top in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to find out which companies are the best of work for.

To begin with, in the first position in survey the numbers of staff member was 56 and there are 30% male and 70% female ratio and they all are under 35s. Staff turnover was 5% and staff in high income bracket was 34%. Furthermore, in the 2nd and 3rd position the number of staff numbers was 79 and 72 and the gender ratio was 47:53 and 74:26 in male and female.

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 identified some data points, the summary is incomplete as it only covers the first three companies and fails to mention the remaining two. Furthermore, there is no attempt to provide an overview or synthesize the main trends across the data. To improve, you must ensure all data categories are addressed, include a clear overview of the main features, and meet the minimum length requirement to allow for sufficient development of your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into two short paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is limited due to the incomplete nature of the summary. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with' and 'Furthermore', which helps link the initial sentences. However, because the response is unfinished and lacks a concluding summary or a cohesive overview, the overall structure is weak. To improve, focus on creating a logical flow that connects the data points rather than simply listing them, and ensure you include an introductory overview and a concluding summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally repetitive and basic. Phrases like 'the numbers of staff member was' and 'in the first position in survey' are somewhat awkward and lack precision. There is little attempt to use a wide range of vocabulary to describe the data, such as synonyms for 'increase', 'decrease', or 'proportion'. To improve, try to incorporate more varied terminology related to data analysis, such as 'accounted for', 'represented', or 'the majority of', and ensure your word choices are grammatically accurate in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'the given table charts depicts' (redundant verbs), 'best of work for' (incorrect preposition), and 'the numbers of staff member was' (subject-verb agreement). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and the lack of complex sentences limits your ability to demonstrate range. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage. Additionally, try to incorporate more complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions, to describe the relationships between the data points more effectively.

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

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