Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-13

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 4.5)

Introduction:

The table chat gives details about the five small companies in britein also shows information position in survey of staff.

Overview

Overall, 5th companies get more highest position in table while staff turnover was lowest point and three more companies discuss in this.

Paragraph 1

Firstly, staff numbers was more rises percentage to all its get 56 to first and 79 in 2nd 72 in third its increases 76 to 190 from 4th to 5th. Similarly, male and famale ratio was 30 male and 70 female while 47:53 to 74:26 from 2nd to third 13:87 and 51:49 was last to companies. After this under 35s or over 55s was normal decrease was 77%/0% to 59%/0% and 82%/0% in 3rd next 26%/8% to 93%/0%.

Paragraph 2

Additionally,staff turnover 5% , 18% , 8% to first three companies and last two was 13% and 33%. At the last staff in high income bracket was 34% to 1st grow 48% to 74% and last two companies obtained 555 and 2%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the table’s subject and report several relevant categories, including staff numbers, gender ratios, turnover and high-income staff. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: “5th companies get more highest position” does not describe the rankings, and the fifth-placed company has the highest turnover, not the lowest. Several figures are also misreported or difficult to interpret: the second company has 1% of staff over 55, not 0%, and “555” appears to misstate the fifth company’s 2% high-income figure. The response therefore selects some relevant information but does not present the main comparisons reliably. A clear overview of the strongest contrasts, followed by accurate, selective comparisons, would make the summary more effective.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic structure, with an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, and the body paragraphs broadly group related table categories. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression within sentences is often difficult to follow, particularly in “staff numbers was more rises percentage to all its get 56 to first and 79 in 2nd.” The overview does not clearly guide the reader, and connectors such as “Firstly,” “Similarly,” “After this” and “Additionally” are used mechanically rather than showing precise relationships. Some comparisons are run together without clear separation. Organise each paragraph around a small number of comparisons and use linking phrases that explicitly show contrast, increase or ranking.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant table vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “male and female ratio,” “under 35s” and “high income bracket,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or combinations make the meaning unclear. Phrases such as “get more highest position,” “was normal decrease” and “obtained 555” are not natural or precise descriptions of the data. There are also spelling errors, including “britein,” “chat” for “chart,” and “famale.” Aim for accurate, straightforward reporting verbs and comparison language rather than forcing complex phrases. For example, describe a figure as “accounted for” a percentage, or say turnover “was highest” at a company.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, and the use of figures and ratios shows an effort to report several details. However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes obscure the intended comparisons. Examples include “staff numbers was,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “its increases 76 to 190,” which has an unclear subject and verb form. Articles and sentence boundaries are also often missing, as in “At the last staff in high income bracket.” Many clauses are joined into long strings, making relationships between figures hard to understand. Build accurate short sentences first, checking subject–verb agreement and past-tense forms, then combine ideas with controlled clauses and clear punctuation.

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