Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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

THE FIVE BEST SMALL COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The table represent the difference between five companies in which five positions are being compared with the accurate data. At a glance, fivth company have the higest number of staff.

The first company have fifty six staff with the male: female ratio of 30:70, under 35s/ over 55s are 77%/0% with 5 % staff turnover and have the 34 % in staff in high income bracket. in second company total number of staff is 79 with the 30:70 ratio of male and female, 59%/1% of under 35s/over 55s with 18% of staff turnover and 48% in staff in high income bracket. the third company have 72 staff, 74:26 ratio, 82%/0% of age, 8% in staff turnover and with 74% in staff in high income bracket. the fourth company have 76 staff, 13:87 ratio, 26%/8% of age, 13% in staff turnover and with 5 % in staff in high income bracket and at last the fifth company have the 190 staff member, 51:54 in ratio, 93%/0% in age, 33% in staff turnover and with 2% in staff in high income bracket

To sumup, the fifth company is the most beneficial because near to male female ratio with the higest number of staff and which is the young age group.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You report most of the table’s categories and several figures accurately, including the first company’s staffing and turnover and the third company’s high-income share. However, the overview is very limited: it notes only that the fifth company has the most staff, without highlighting other key contrasts, such as the fifth company’s highest turnover and the third company’s highest proportion of high earners. There are also important inaccuracies: the second company’s male:female ratio is 47:53, not 30:70, and the fifth company’s is 51:49, not 51:54. The closing claim that the fifth company is “the most beneficial” is unsupported and does not describe the survey results objectively. Select and compare the main patterns more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an opening, a paragraph listing the five companies, and a concluding sentence. This gives the reader a general route through the information, and the companies are presented in survey order. However, most of the body is one long sequence of figures joined mainly by “with,” “and,” and repeated company references. This makes comparisons difficult to see and gives the response little progression beyond listing data. The conclusion also introduces an opinion rather than drawing together the table’s main features. Grouping related contrasts—for example, age and gender patterns, then turnover and income—and using clear comparison links such as “whereas” or “by contrast” would improve the organisation and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “staff turnover,” “male: female ratio,” and “high income bracket,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the difference between five companies,” “with the accurate data,” and “the most beneficial.” Repeated use of “company,” “staff,” and “with” also makes the account sound like a list rather than a comparison. Spelling errors such as “fivth,” “higest,” and “sumup” are noticeable and reduce precision. Use more precise reporting language, for example, “ranked first,” “accounted for,” and “had the highest proportion,” while checking spelling and choosing collocations that suit an objective data summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response communicates many figures, but grammatical control is weak and errors occur throughout. Subject–verb agreement is a recurring problem: “The table represent,” “company have,” and “the third company have” should use singular verb forms. Articles and sentence construction are also inconsistent, as in “have the 190 staff member” and “with the 30:70 ratio.” Several long sentences join many details with commas and “and,” making the relationships between clauses unclear; the final sentence, beginning “the fifth company is the most beneficial because,” is especially difficult to follow. Most sentences rely on a basic listing pattern, with little accurate variety in complex structures. Build shorter, complete sentences and check agreement, articles, plurals, and punctuation.

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