Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-14

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 4.0)

The table shows that the five unpopular companies in Britain that come top of the list on survey about to know that which company is best to work for staff.

Overall, the table shows that the fifth company work best for the staff under 35s / over 55s, whereas it rate less for staff in high income bracket. However, staff turnover represents a lowest ration in all companies.

In term of staff numbers, 56 stood for the 1st position which increase to 190

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response makes a limited attempt to summarise the table, but it misidentifies the companies as “unpopular” and does not accurately explain the survey’s ranking. The overview claims the fifth company “work best” for younger staff, although the fifth-placed company has the highest proportion under 35 (93%); this does not establish that it works best for them. The statement that turnover is lowest “in all companies” is also inaccurate: turnover ranges from 5% to 33%, and only the first company has the lowest figure. The final comparison begins with staff numbers but is unfinished. The response is also well below the required 150 words, leaving most key comparisons unreported. To improve, give an accurate overview and select several clear comparisons across the table.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then a detail paragraph beginning “In term of staff numbers”. This gives the reader some sense of a report structure. However, the progression is very limited because the final sentence stops after “which increase to 190”, without explaining the comparison or moving to other data. Connections between ideas are also unclear in places, particularly in the overview, where “whereas” links claims that are not clearly contrasted. Use complete paragraphs and develop a logical sequence—for example, an overview of the main patterns followed by grouped comparisons of staff numbers, age, turnover and income. Clear linking phrases can help, but should express accurate relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “staff numbers”, “staff turnover” and “high income bracket”, so the topic is recognisable. However, several word choices or combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “five unpopular companies”, “come top of the list on survey” and “lowest ration”. These choices make the intended meaning less clear and sometimes misrepresent the table. The phrase “work best for the staff under 35s” is also imprecise: the figures show the proportion of younger employees, not how well a company works for them. Aim for accurate reporting language such as “ranked”, “accounted for” and “the proportion of employees”, and check collocations and word forms before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to use more than one sentence pattern, including a complex overview sentence with “whereas”. Some basic meaning can be understood, but grammatical control is inconsistent. For example, “which company is best to work for staff” has an unclear clause structure, while “the fifth company work best” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “56 stood for the 1st position which increase to 190”, the relative clause is not well formed and the verb form is incorrect; the sentence is also incomplete. Articles and prepositions are sometimes missing or misplaced, as in “on survey”. Practise writing complete comparisons with a clear subject and verb, then check agreement, articles and sentence endings.

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.