Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-21

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

THE FIVE BEST SMALL COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

Student answer (Band 4.0)

this table shows information about five small companies in Britain. these companies came top in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper. the company which is at the first number in survey has 56 staff numbers. their male to female ratio is also very much different from the other four. the company at the 5th number has a lot of staff numbers of about 190. the company which is at the 3rd number has high percentage of staff in high income bracket. company at the 4th number has more ratio of females than males. these all 5 companies came at the top while finding out which company is working bewst in the germany.company at the 5th number has very less percentage of staff in high income bracket. all these companies are working very well and efficiently in Britain. there is very much comparison in these companies as well.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion3.5
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the subject and mention a few relevant figures, including the first-ranked company’s 56 employees, the fifth-ranked company’s 190, and the third-ranked company’s leading share of high-income staff. However, the response gives only a limited account of the table and does not provide a clear overview of its main patterns. Some comparisons are vague, such as saying the first company’s gender ratio is “very much different,” without explaining that women make up 70% there. The claim that the companies are in Germany is inaccurate; the table concerns companies in Britain. The response is also 138 words, below the required 150. To improve, summarise the main contrasts and support them with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the table and then mentions several companies and figures. This gives the reader some sense of the topic, but the ideas are not grouped into a clear overview and supporting comparisons. Repeated openings such as “the company which is at…” make the progression feel list-like, while “there is very much comparison” does not explain how the data relate. The final general statements about companies working efficiently do not follow from the table. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview of the strongest patterns, and a paragraph comparing selected figures. Use clear links such as “by contrast” only where the comparison is explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “male to female ratio,” “staff numbers,” and “high income bracket,” so the reader can recognise several categories in the table. However, the range is basic and repetitive, with “company” and “staff” used frequently. Several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “first number in survey,” “a lot of staff numbers,” and “more ratio of females.” “Working best” is also not an accurate way to describe a survey ranking, and the spelling error “bewst” reduces accuracy. Aim for concise data-reporting language and use terms such as “ranked first,” “employed,” and “accounted for” to describe figures more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Most sentences use simple present-tense structures, and the basic meaning is generally understandable. There are attempts to form longer clauses, for example “the company which is at the 3rd number has…,” but the repeated pattern limits grammatical range and makes the writing awkward. Errors in sentence construction and punctuation are visible, including the run-on sequence of ideas and inconsistent capitalisation at the start of sentences and for “Britain.” The phrase “company at the 4th number has…” also lacks an article. Practise varied but controlled structures, such as “The company ranked fourth employs 76 people, and women make up 87% of its workforce.”

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