Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 table illustrates the result of a survey conducted by a national newspaper to know about top five small companies to work in UK.

Overall, the first best company accounts for the smallest number of staff member, whereas fifth had the largest. Staff turnover is the most significant factor which is the least in first best company and the highest in the fifth company. Almost all companies have zero or negligible number of over 55s individuals.

There are 56 staff members in 1st best company, the numbers rises for the subsequent companies. 1st best company accounts for 5% staff turnover, whereas 33% can be observed in 5th company and the percentage varies among the remaining three companies. Another important factor is staff in high income bracket. 1st three companies constitues highest number of them, while 7% accounts for last two companies.

Remaining two factor fluc

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify relevant features, including the smallest and largest workforces, the contrast in staff turnover, and the generally low proportion of employees over 55. However, the response covers the table only partially and some reporting is inaccurate: staff numbers do not rise in each successive company, and the first three companies do not all have the highest high-income shares (the third is highest at 74%, while the first two are 34% and 48%). The claim that the last two account for 7% also misstates their combined figures. Several rows are left unreported, and the final sentence is unfinished. The response is also five words below the required minimum. Select the strongest comparisons, report them accurately, and complete the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with selected details. The overview gives the reader some direction by highlighting workforce size, turnover, and older employees. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph moves between staff numbers, turnover, and income without a clear organising principle, then ends abruptly with “Remaining two factor fluc”. Linking phrases such as “Another important factor” help signal a new point, but the relationships between comparisons are not consistently clear. Group the data into coherent themes—for example, workforce profile and turnover/income—and use complete sentences to connect the comparisons. This would make the organisation more purposeful and easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some appropriate task vocabulary, including “staff turnover”, “high income bracket”, and “subsequent companies”, and the main topic remains understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, such as “to know about top five small companies to work in UK”, “staff member”, and “constitues”. “The first best company” is also an unnatural way to refer to the company ranked first. These choices reduce precision, particularly when describing the table’s categories and comparisons. Use concise, conventional reporting language such as “ranked first”, “workforce”, and “employees in the highest income bracket”, and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer clauses, and some sentences communicate the intended comparison, such as “Almost all companies have zero or negligible number of over 55s individuals.” However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make the relationships between figures unclear. Examples include “the numbers rises”, “1st three companies constitues”, and “whereas fifth had the largest”; these show problems with agreement, verb form, and articles. The sentence beginning “Another important factor” also has an unclear construction, while the final fragment is incomplete. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and article use, and build comparisons in complete, controlled sentences. A final check for sentence completeness and punctuation would improve clarity.

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