Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The table illustrates the information about comparing of five small companies in Britain that came top in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to discover that which companies are best for the workers.

Overall, the table compared the position in surveys like staff member in which male and female employer ratio is given and staff turnover is also mentioned.

To begin with 1st and 2nd position in survey for workers, in 1st survey position staff member are 56 while 79 member in 2nd, male ratio in 1st position is 30 and 47 in 2nd and also 70 percent female in 1st and 53 in 2nd

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the table’s subject and report some figures for the first two companies, including staff numbers and the male–female proportions. However, the response stops before covering the other three companies or the other key measures, such as age profile, turnover and high-income staff. The overview is also too general: saying that these categories are “mentioned” does not summarise the main patterns or comparisons. The response contains 89 words, below the required 150, and this leaves the task substantially incomplete. To improve, write a clear overview of notable contrasts, then select and compare figures across all five positions rather than describing only the first two.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introduction is followed by an overview and then a paragraph beginning “To begin with”. This gives the reader some sense of sequence, and the figures for the first- and second-ranked companies are grouped together. However, the progression is limited because the response ends mid-report and does not develop a complete comparison. The overview repeats the idea that the table compares positions and lists categories, rather than guiding the reader towards the main features. Linking is also sparse, with “while” and “and also” doing most of the work. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and grouped comparisons, and connect contrasts explicitly with phrases such as “by contrast” or “whereas”.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant vocabulary, including “staff turnover”, “male and female” and “position”, so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is narrow and several phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “information about comparing of five small companies” and “staff member”. “Employer ratio” is also not the right expression for the male–female balance among employees. These choices make the report less natural and sometimes obscure the intended meaning. Aim for standard table-reporting language and vary the terms used for the companies and their employees. For example, describe “the gender ratio” or “the proportion of male and female employees”, and use “ranked first” rather than repeatedly referring to “1st position in survey”.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes simple statements and an attempt at a longer comparison, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “five small companies … that came top” is understandable, while “the table compared the position in surveys like staff member” has an unclear structure. In “staff member are 56 while 79 member in 2nd”, the plural forms and verb are not controlled, and the second clause lacks a complete verb. The opening also has an awkward clause construction in “to discover that which companies”. Most sentences are understandable in context, but errors in agreement, articles and sentence formation reduce clarity. Practise complete comparative sentences, such as “The first-ranked company employed 56 people, compared with 79 at the second-ranked company.”

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