Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-15

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)

The table compares five small companies of Britain which are worked very hard According to the table the fifth company has a great ratio of staff numbers which is 190 but it also has a high range of staff turnover In contrast,the third company has 72 staff numbers and also have staff in high income bracket In additionally the other three countries have a young force, with over half of staff under 35 , except 4th company where only 26 percentage under 35 company one have 30 percent male and female ratio while the 3rd company have 74 percent male and female ratio

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify a few relevant comparisons, including the fifth company’s largest workforce (190) and highest turnover (33%), and the third company’s 72 employees and high-income figure. However, the response only minimally summarises the table: it has no clear overview of the main patterns, omits several important comparisons, and is substantially below the required 150 words. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the third company has the highest share in the high-income bracket (74%), but this is not stated, and “the other three countries” is not a meaningful description of the companies. The male-to-female ratios are also described imprecisely. Select the most notable contrasts, report the figures accurately, and add a concise overview before supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt to connect comparisons using “In contrast” and “Additionally,” so the reader can identify a few separate observations. However, the response is presented as one long, unpunctuated sequence, with no clear introduction, overview, or organised detail paragraphs. The links do not consistently clarify how the points relate: for example, “In additionally” is not a suitable transition, and “the other three countries” interrupts the progression because the subject is companies. Group the information into a short overview and logically ordered comparisons, and use accurate linking phrases such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile.” Clear sentence boundaries and reference to each company would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey some basic table information, with terms such as “staff turnover,” “high income bracket,” and “under 35” showing awareness of the topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to interpret. “A great ratio of staff numbers” does not clearly describe the largest workforce, while “young force” is not an appropriate expression for a young workforce. “Countries” is also the wrong word for the five businesses, and “percentage under 35” needs a clearer formulation. Use precise table language such as “workforce,” “proportion,” and “share of employees,” and check that each phrase expresses the intended comparison.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to combine information in longer sentences, including a contrast introduced by “In contrast,” but control of sentence structure is weak. The response contains run-on sentences and missing punctuation, such as the transition from “high range of staff turnover” directly into “In contrast.” There are also errors in agreement and sentence construction: “the third company … also have” should use a singular verb, and “the other three countries have” does not form a clear grammatical reference to the companies. The phrase “30 percent male and female ratio” is also structurally unclear. Use shorter, complete sentences with full stops, and check subject–verb agreement and articles before adding more complex structures.

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.