Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-16

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)

introduction:the below table shows that the five minor companies in britain that came top in a survey of staff is taken by a national newspaper in order yo know which of the companies is better to work for

overview: in it we saw the different no of male and female staffs ratio their age their staff turnover,their age and then put it in details

detail paragraph 1:

in this we will see the survey from 1st companies to 3rd where we saw the differences in ratio age income .here we saw the no of staff in 1st company is 56 then in second uts no increase and ut goes to 79 and then in 3rd it is 72 forth it is 76 and them in 5th it is high of all companies 190

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the table’s subject and report one accurate feature: the fifth-ranked company has the most staff, at 190, while the first has 56. However, the response covers only staff numbers and does not report the key comparisons in gender, age, turnover or high-income staff. The overview—“we saw the different no of male and female staffs ratio their age”—lists categories rather than summarising the main patterns. There is also no meaningful comparison of the other figures. The response is 122 words, below the required 150; 11 words copied from the task prompt were excluded from that count. To improve, write a clear overview of the strongest patterns and support it with accurate figures from several categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response has an identifiable introduction, overview and detail paragraph, and the detail paragraph follows the companies’ ranking when giving staff numbers. This provides a basic structure. However, the overview does not actually summarise the data, and the paragraph labelled “detail paragraph 1” announces a comparison of the first three companies but continues through all five and gives only staff totals. Connections between ideas are limited, while phrases such as “in this” and “and then” do not make the relationships between figures clear. The repeated references to age also interrupt progression. Organise the report around meaningful comparisons, use clear links such as “by contrast” where appropriate, and ensure each paragraph fulfils its stated purpose.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “survey,” “staff turnover,” “ratio,” and “income,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is narrow and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “minor companies” for small companies and “better to work for” when describing the survey’s purpose. “No of staff” is informal shorthand, and “high of all companies” does not clearly express that the figure is the highest. Spelling and word-form slips, including “yo,” “uts,” and “ut,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise reporting language and use the table’s categories directly, for example “number of employees,” “female staff,” and “the highest figure.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the staff-number sequence is mostly understandable. However, control of sentence structure and basic grammar is inconsistent. In the introduction, “the five minor companies … is taken” has subject–verb agreement and passive-form problems; “the table shows” would be a clearer structure. The overview is a fragment-like list without a complete, well-formed sentence. In the detail paragraph, “in second uts no increase and ut goes to 79” lacks clear grammatical structure, and punctuation is often missing, including spaces after full stops. Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, check agreement and articles, and separate each comparison with accurate punctuation.

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