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 data of a survey conducted in Britain by a national newspaper where five small companies got considered by a staff as best to work for.

Overall, all five companies differ on the basis of different variables. The fifth company found to be the leading choice for the staff, whereas the first company recieved the lowest points, although remaining three companies maintained a steady position.

Regarding the topmost choice, the fifth company got the highest position, about 190 staff memebrs who voted this as the best, whereas the first company got the lowest points from staff, only about 56 people who considered it the best. The male:female ratio remained to be the highest for the fifth ratio, which accounted for

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the table’s subject and attempts an overview, but it reports only a small part of the information and does not complete its comparison. The claim that the fifth company was the “leading choice” is inaccurate: it ranked fifth, while the first company ranked first. Staff numbers are not the number who voted for a company, so describing 190 and 56 as people who “voted” or “considered it the best” misreads the data. The final sentence stops before giving the fifth company’s male:female ratio, and the other key measures are omitted. The response is also below the required 150 words. To improve, accurately compare the top-ranked and bottom-ranked companies and summarise notable patterns across the table.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, with an introductory sentence, an overview beginning “Overall,” and a paragraph about the companies’ positions. This gives the reader some sense of the intended structure. However, there is no clear progression through the table’s main features: the overview is vague, and the final paragraph ends mid-sentence at “which accounted for,” leaving the comparison unfinished. Linking phrases such as “Regarding the topmost choice” help signal a shift, but the ideas within the paragraph are not developed into a complete account. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and selected comparisons, and ensure each sentence is complete and connected to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “survey,” “staff,” “male:female ratio,” and “variables,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward for describing a table. “Got considered by a staff” and “got the highest position” do not express the intended ideas naturally; “leading choice” also conflicts with the fifth-place ranking. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “recieved” and “memebrs.” Aim for precise reporting verbs and standard collocations, such as “ranked,” “recorded,” and “the proportion of male to female employees.” Proofreading spelling and checking that word choices match the data will make the report clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few longer sentence forms, including the overview sentence with “whereas” and the sentence beginning “Regarding the topmost choice.” However, the range is limited, and errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns are frequent enough to make parts awkward or incomplete. For example, “five small companies got considered by a staff” has an unclear passive construction and article use, while “The fifth company found to be” is missing an auxiliary verb. The final sentence is unfinished, so its grammatical relationship cannot be understood. Practise complete, controlled sentences such as “The fifth-ranked company employed 190 staff,” and check articles, auxiliary verbs, and sentence endings before submitting.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.