Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-11

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 compares five small companies ranked in a workplace survey detailing staff number genderand age turnover and high income proportions.

overall the 5th ranked company has the largest workforce and highest turnover but the lowest share of high earners higher ranked companies generally offer better retention and earnings.

staff size ranges from 29 in the 2nd company to 190 in the 5th. gender proportions vary widely women dominate in the 4th firm (87%) while men lead in 3rd(74%) most

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the table’s subject and give a relevant overview, noting that the fifth-ranked company has the largest workforce and highest turnover, alongside the lowest proportion of high earners. You also make useful gender comparisons. However, the response is very incomplete and contains a factual error: the second company has 79 staff, not 29. It does not report several important figures, such as the high-income shares or the age profile, and the comparison about higher-ranked companies offering better earnings is not supported consistently by the table (the third-ranked firm has the highest high-income share). The response is also 80 words, below the required 150. Develop the overview and compare more of the key data accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic, sensible structure: an introduction, an overview beginning with “overall,” and a paragraph that starts to compare staff size and gender. This helps the reader recognise the intended organisation. However, the response stops mid-sentence at “while men lead in 3rd(74%) most,” so the final comparison is unfinished and the progression is incomplete. The paragraphs also contain very little supporting detail, and links between the overview and the specific comparisons are limited. Complete each paragraph, group related features such as age and turnover together, and use clear transitions to guide the reader through the comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “workplace survey,” “staff number,” “gender,” “turnover,” “high earners,” and “proportions.” These terms make the topic clear, and “dominate” and “ranges from” show some attempt to vary your wording. However, the range is limited by the short response, and some expressions are imprecise or awkward: “staff number” would be more natural as “staff numbers” or “workforce size,” while “high income proportions” is less clear than “proportions of staff in the high-income bracket.” The phrase “higher ranked companies generally offer better retention and earnings” also overgeneralises the data. Use precise terms for the table categories and avoid broad claims that the figures do not support.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes some clear simple sentence patterns, such as “the 5th ranked company has the largest workforce and highest turnover,” and the overview uses a contrast effectively. However, the range is narrow, and punctuation and sentence boundaries are inconsistent. The opening sentence lacks a comma after “survey,” and “genderand” runs two words together. The final line is incomplete, ending with “most,” which leaves the sentence without a finished idea. Rankings also need consistent grammatical marking, for example “the third-ranked company.” Aim to write complete sentences, punctuate clauses clearly, and check spacing and sentence endings before finishing.

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