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 provides the data regarding the five small companies in Britain that ranked top in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to find out which companies are the best to work for.

Overall, the fifth company ranked first all position, while the third company recorded the highest figure in two categories. The remaining companies showed considerable variation in different categories.

To commence, regarding staff number 5th company had the largest number, with 190 employees, followed by 2nd company had 79, employees, while the remaining companies had fewer employees. Moreover, male -to-female ratio was highest in 3rd company,74:26 while other were lower in ratio. Furthermore, regarding the age distribution of staff, the fifth company had at 93% of employees in first age category and 0% in the second, while the 3rd company had 82% employees in first group and 0% in second group. In addition, the highest staff turnover was recorded in 5th company. In contrast least turn over recorded in 1st company. Lastly, the data regarding income of staff, the third company had a figure, at 74%, while the second company at 48%. The least income of staff was recorded in 5th company, only 5% of total income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the table’s subject and include an overview, but the overview contains a major misreading: the fifth company ranked fifth, not first, and the third company has the highest value in only one category—high-income staff (74%), not two. Several details are accurate, including the fifth company’s 190 employees and 93% under-35 staff, and the first company’s lowest turnover. However, the income comparison is inaccurate: 5% belongs to the fourth company, while the fifth has 2%. The male-to-female ratio is described imprecisely, and the age figures for the first company are omitted. The response therefore reports some relevant features but does not select and compare the data reliably. Check each ranking and figure against the table before writing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph of details. Sequencing expressions such as “Moreover,” “Furthermore,” and “Lastly” show an attempt to guide the reader through the categories. However, the progression is largely a list, rather than a clear grouping of related comparisons, and the repeated transitions make the writing feel mechanical. Some links are also awkward or unclear, such as “while other were lower in ratio,” which does not specify what is being compared. Organise the details into meaningful groups—for example, company size and gender, then age, turnover and income—and use clear references to the companies so the reader can follow the comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “age distribution,” “employees,” and “high income bracket,” and you attempt a range of reporting phrases. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, which sometimes obscures the data: “ranked first all position,” “had at 93%,” and “the least income of staff” are not suitable collocations. “Male-to-female ratio was highest” is also unclear because the figures are ratios, not a single measure of “highest.” Repetition of “company,” “regarding,” and “recorded” limits the range. Aim for precise table language such as “had the largest workforce,” “the proportion of employees under 35,” and “the lowest staff turnover.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some comparisons difficult to read. For example, “followed by 2nd company had 79, employees” combines sentence patterns incorrectly; write “followed by the second company, with 79 employees.” Other problems include missing articles in “5th company,” the incomplete construction “while other were lower,” and punctuation around figures, as in “company,74:26.” There is also inconsistent sentence control in “the second company at 48%.” Practise complete comparison structures and check articles, agreement, and punctuation when presenting figures.

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