Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-21

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 illustrates the data of a survey staff of five best small compenies.It givesvthe information of employees number, age, male to female ratio, turnover and high paid staff.

The company scoring the first position has 56 staff members with male to female ratio of 30:70 in which 77 percent workers are under 35 and no employee is above 55 years.Staff turnover is 5 percent.From the whole staff 34 percent employees are earning high income.

The companies having second, third, fourth and fifth ranks have 79, 72, 76 and 190 staff members with make to female ratio of 47:53, 74:26, 13:87 and the51:49 respectively

According to the given table staff turn over in second, third, fourth and fifth positioned companies is 18, 8, 13, 33 percent and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the main features of the table, covering staff numbers, ratios, age distribution, turnover, and income brackets. However, the report is incomplete as it cuts off abruptly mid-sentence at the end. Furthermore, the length requirement of 150 words is not met, as the student's response contains only 127 words. While the first and second companies are detailed, the listing format for the subsequent companies becomes repetitive and lacks proper analytical comparison. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure all data is fully presented without trailing off, and incorporate more meaningful comparisons across the five companies rather than simply listing figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay begins with an introductory paragraph, but the paragraphing breaks down into short, disconnected blocks. Cohesive devices are minimal and basic, relying heavily on mechanical listings such as 'second, third, fourth and fifth ranks'. The response lacks an overall logical progression and cohesive flow, and because the text cuts off prematurely, there is no concluding overview. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the third paragraph where a string of numbers ('79, 72, 76 and 190') is matched to a long list of attributes without clear structural guidance. Better transitional phrases and logical groupings of data are needed to improve the overall cohesion of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The lexical range is limited and repetitive. The student uses basic vocabulary such as 'illustrates the data', 'gives the information', and 'staff members'. There are several noticeable spelling errors and typographical slips, including 'compenies', 'It givesvthe', and 'turn over'. Less common lexical items are rarely attempted, and word choices lack precision. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey basic data points from the table, it lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for higher band scores. More varied terminology relating to employment, demographics, and proportions is necessary to enhance the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and direct listings. There are frequent punctuation and spacing errors throughout the text, such as missing spaces after periods ('compenies.It', 'givesvthe') and missing articles. The final sentence is incomplete, breaking off mid-thought ('and'). Although some basic structures are controlled, the frequency of mechanical errors and the lack of complex sentence variety keep the grammatical score at this level. To improve, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence forms and carefully proofread for punctuation and typographical accuracy.

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