Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-19

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 5.0)

The given table illustrates information through a survey of staff about the five companies in Britian that came on top, conducted by a national newsapaper to find out which companies are the best work for.

According to the survey, the first position holder company's staff is under 35s / over 55s obtaining 77% / 0%, in contrast the 5th position holder is obtaining 93% / 0%. The table also shows that the 3rd [osition holder company has 74:26 ratio of male:female. Furthermore, the tabel also presents the staff turnover of 5th position is the highest with 33%, whereas 1st position has least in all with 3%.

Moreover, in all five best companies, staff in high income braket is 3rd position holder with highest percentage of 74 while 5th position holder sector has only 2%. In conclusion, the table illustrates various number of increase and decrease of percentages without any set criteria.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify several relevant comparisons, including the youngest workforce at fifth place (93%) and the highest high-income share at third place (74%). However, the response gives only a partial account of the table and lacks a clear, accurate overview of its main patterns. One figure is incorrect: first-place staff turnover is 5%, not 3%. The final claim about percentages changing “without any set criteria” is vague and does not summarise the data. The response also falls short of the required 150 words: 143 words were counted, with eight words copied from the prompt excluded. To improve, add a concise overview and select accurate comparisons across staff size, gender, age and turnover, rather than listing isolated details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from age figures to gender, turnover and income, and linking phrases such as “Furthermore” and “Moreover” show an attempt to connect points. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the opening repeats the task description, while the conclusion introduces a general statement that does not follow from the comparisons. Several details are crowded into one paragraph, and references such as “the 5th position holder sector” make it harder to track which company is being discussed. Organise the report into an introduction, a clear overview and grouped comparisons. Use linking expressions only where they clarify the relationship between figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “male:female ratio” and “high income bracket,” so the reader can recognise the categories being compared. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “Britian,” “newsapaper,” “tabel” and “braket” are noticeable, while “best work for” is an awkward phrase. Repeated wording such as “position holder” also makes the report less natural. Aim for concise, standard chart language, for example “ranked first,” “the proportion of employees” and “the highest turnover rate.” Check spelling carefully, as accurate vocabulary is important for presenting numerical information clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “whereas,” and most of the intended comparisons can be understood. However, complex constructions are often faulty or awkward. For example, “the first position holder company's staff is under 35s / over 55s obtaining 77% / 0%” does not form a clear grammatical comparison, and “the staff turnover of 5th position is the highest” is missing a natural possessive or noun phrase. The opening sentence also has an unclear structure. Use straightforward patterns such as “At the company ranked first, 77% of staff are under 35.” Check articles, possessives and sentence boundaries, and vary structures only when you can control them.

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