Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-23

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 table provides the data on the survey conducted by a national newspaper, for thr five companies in the britain to analyze, which companies are the best to work with.

Overall, according to the position in survey, each company has staff members above 50, while the 5th company has a staff of 190. On the other hand, male ratio is highest in the third company and female in the 4th.

With regards to the income bracket 3rd positioned company with a percentage of 8% staff turnover. On the other hand, copany with a rank of 5th has an income bracket of only 2%, which is lower from even a basic salary of an empolyee

However, 2nd and 4th companies have somehow closer proprtions than others, but the 4th company has a ratio of 26% women staff, but a salary of 74% which is a considerable amount for expenses.

The company which is at the first position has a complete balance of each proportion, and is the best to work with

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the table’s subject and makes a few relevant comparisons, including the largest workforce at the fifth-ranked company and the gender patterns in the third and fourth companies. However, the main features are not reported accurately or clearly enough: the third company’s 8% figure is staff turnover, not an income-bracket figure, and the fourth company has 26% under-35s, not 26% women. The claim that its salary is 74% also misreads the table: 74% is the third company’s high-income figure. Several important comparisons, such as the high turnover at fifth place and the highest high-income share at third place, are missed. The overview is therefore limited, and some statements are unsupported or confusing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview-like paragraph and further comparisons. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “On the other hand” and “However” show an attempt to connect ideas. Nevertheless, the progression is difficult to follow because the response moves between staff numbers, gender, turnover and income without consistently identifying which company or measure is being discussed. For example, the sentence beginning “With regards to the income bracket” combines the third company’s turnover with income, while the next paragraph shifts to proportions and salary. Some transitions also suggest contrast where the relationship is unclear. Grouping related comparisons together and using clear references such as “the third-ranked company” would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “staff members,” “male ratio,” “female,” “staff turnover” and “income bracket,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the intended meaning unclear. “Best to work with” is less suitable than “best to work for,” and “a complete balance of each proportion” does not accurately describe the first company’s figures. The phrase “lower from even a basic salary” is also unsupported by the table and is not a natural way to describe the data. Spelling errors such as “thr,” “copany,” “empolyee” and “proprtions” further reduce control. Aim for precise terms such as “share,” “proportion” and “percentage of employees.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, and the opening sentence communicates the general topic. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to understand. For example, “3rd positioned company with a percentage of 8% staff turnover” is a sentence fragment, while “the 4th company has a ratio of 26% women staff, but a salary of 74%” lacks a clear grammatical relationship between the figures. Articles and prepositions are also often missing or awkward, as in “according to the position in survey” and “lower from.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation need attention, particularly where several ideas are joined with “but” or “and.” Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb for each comparison.

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