Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-17

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 presents the information about survey of staff in five small companies conducted by a national newspaper to find out which companies are the best to work for in britain

Overall, the figures varied considerably among the companies.while 5th company accounted for the highest figures of staff numbers and staff turnover whereas lowest staff in high income bracket .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the table’s subject and gives a brief overview, correctly noting that the fifth-ranked company has the most staff and the highest turnover, as well as the lowest share of high earners. However, it reports almost none of the supporting figures or comparisons, so the main features are only minimally covered. The overview that figures “varied considerably” is also too general to explain the key contrasts across the five companies. The response is substantially below the required 150 words: 44 words were counted, with 16 words copied from the prompt excluded. To improve, add selected figures and comparisons—for example, the first company’s 5% turnover versus the fifth’s 33%, and the third company’s 74% high-income share versus the fifth’s 2%.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic overall sequence: an opening sentence introduces the table, followed by an overview beginning with “Overall.” This gives the reader a simple starting structure. However, the response is too brief to develop a clear progression through the data, and the overview combines several points in one sentence without explaining their relationships. The connector “whereas” signals contrast, but the sentence is not fully formed, and there is no paragraphing beyond the two short blocks. Organise the report into an introduction, a concise overview, and one or two paragraphs comparing related figures. Use linking expressions to make those comparisons explicit, rather than relying on a single contrast.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “survey,” “staff numbers,” “staff turnover,” and “high income bracket,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is narrow and several phrases are imprecise or awkward, such as “figures varied considerably” and “accounted for the highest figures of staff numbers.” The repeated use of “figures” also limits precision. Choose vocabulary that names the measure directly, such as “had the largest workforce” or “recorded the highest turnover.” More varied terms for proportions and comparisons would help describe the table accurately and naturally. Check spelling and capitalisation, including “Britain.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a complex overview sentence using “while” and “whereas,” showing some effort to connect contrasting information. However, the sentence is incomplete after “whereas lowest staff in high income bracket,” because it lacks a clear subject and verb for that clause. The opening also needs an article in “about survey,” and the punctuation after “companies” should include a space. Sentence structures are otherwise very limited, so there is little evidence of controlled variety. Practise writing complete comparison clauses, for example, “The fifth company had the most employees and the highest turnover, whereas it had the smallest proportion of high earners.”

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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