Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-22

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 provides information about the five domestic companies of Britain that rose up in a research of employees recorded by a national newspaper to figure out which companies are good to work for.

Overall, the 5th position company has the highest number of employees, while the 1st position has the lowest staff members. The male and female ratio is almost equal for the last number of company but there is huge difference of this ratio for the secon last. Another noticeable feature of this table is about the age of the staff members, the first, third, and fifth company has no worker more than age of 35.

Main point to be consider here is that the fifth number company has highest level of staff turnover and has lowest staff having high income.

Looking at the first employer, it has only 56 staff members, while the fifth position company has 190. In addition to this trend, the number one company has 30:70 male female staff, but last number company has equal proportions which is 51:49

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover several features of the table, such as staff numbers, male-to-female ratios, age demographics, and staff turnover. However, the selection of information is somewhat erratic and fails to provide a fully developed overview. For instance, the reference to 'the 5th position company' and 'the first position' is clear, but the details are disjointed and lack a cohesive summary of the main trends across all five companies. Furthermore, there are inaccuracies in reporting data; for example, the student claims that the first, third, and fifth companies have 'no worker more than age of 35,' which misreads the table (the table shows 0% over 55s, not 0% over 35s). Because key comparisons are missed and some data points are misreported, the response sits at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The writing is organized into distinct paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body details. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions and confusing references, such as 'the last number of company' and 'the secon last.' Paragraphing is attempted, but the body paragraphs are disjointed and fail to group information logically. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate, leading to a mechanical feel that strains the reader's progression. Referencing pronouns are occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow which company is being discussed. This level of organization and cohesive control aligns best with Band 5.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple phrasings like 'highest number of employees,' 'lowest staff members,' and 'huge difference.' There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'rose up in a research of employees' instead of 'ranked highest in a survey of staff,' and 'secon last' for the fourth position. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and spelling or word-choice errors occur throughout the text (e.g., 'consider' instead of 'considered'). While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general topic, the restricted range and persistent errors cap the lexical score at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently flawed. Grammatical errors are common throughout the response, including missing articles ('the 5th position company has highest level'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the first, third, and fifth company has'), and awkward prepositions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing full stops at the end of sentences. Although simple sentences are generally understandable, the frequency of errors in complex constructions causes some difficulty for the reader and prevents the response from achieving a higher band. Therefore, a score of 5.0 is appropriate.

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