Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-24

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 given table illustrates the information about the survey report which is conducted in a national newspaper about five different small companies in Britain.

Overall, it can be observed that 5th company had the highest ratio of staff members as comapred to other companies whereas, least position in staff in high income bracket.

To begin with staff members, 1st comapy had 56 members, 79,72, 76, 190 respectively. Moving towards male:female ratio, 1st comapy had 30.70, second company had 47:53 whereas, 3rd, 4th and 5th had 74:26, 13:87, 51:49 respectively.

Under35s/over 55s

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the table’s subject and give one relevant overview point: the fifth-ranked company has the most staff and the lowest share in the high-income bracket. You also report several staff totals and gender ratios, although the first ratio is written as “30.70,” which does not accurately represent 30:70. However, the response stops before reporting the age figures, turnover rates, or income-bracket data, so most of the table is not summarised and comparisons are very limited. The response is also 59 words below the required minimum. To develop the report, include the main contrasts across these categories and support your overview with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph beginning “To begin with,” which gives the reader some sense of organisation. The sequence from staff numbers to gender ratios is understandable, and “Moving towards” signals a shift in topic. However, the response ends with the unfinished heading-like line “Under35s/over 55s,” so the progression is incomplete and the information is not grouped into a full summary. Some linking is also awkward, particularly “whereas” in the overview, where the relationship between the two points is unclear. Use complete paragraphs to group related comparisons, then connect them with simple, accurate transitions such as “By contrast” or “Regarding staff turnover.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “staff members,” “male:female ratio,” and “high income bracket,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited, with repeated use of “had” and “company,” and some expressions are imprecise for describing a table. “The survey report which is conducted in a national newspaper” is an awkward description, while “least position in staff in high income bracket” does not clearly express the intended comparison. There are also spelling and spacing errors, including “comapy,” “comapred,” and “Under35s.” Aim for concise reporting language such as “ranked first,” “accounted for,” and “the proportion of employees,” and check spelling and formatting carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a few sentence forms, including an overview sentence with “whereas” and a longer sentence introducing the gender ratios. Basic meaning is usually understandable, but control is inconsistent. For example, “which is conducted” uses an unsuitable present passive for a completed survey, and “1st company had 56 members, 79,72, 76, 190 respectively” lacks a clear grammatical structure linking each figure to its company. The overview also has faulty punctuation around “whereas,” and the final line is not a complete sentence. Practise forming accurate comparison sentences, for example, “The first company employed 56 people, compared with 190 at the fifth,” and use consistent past-tense reporting where appropriate.

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

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