Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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

THE FIVE BEST SMALL COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The table provide information about the britain companies which are top in survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to find out and this work is best.

Overall, it is clear that small comapnies under 35 or over 55 age group people accounted for the highest figures, whereas the lowest numbers recorded in high income bracket. Additionally, most sectors experienced and upward trend over the period.

Looking at the details, in 1st number, the figure for staff numbers stood at 56. This number then rose gradually to reach 79 by the end of the period. A similar trend observed in 4th and then the number of incresed dramatically at 190. Moreover, male and femal ratio observed that started only 30:70. after then second and third companys ratio rose at 47:53 and 74:26. in five number company end with 51:49, before they stood at 13:8.

In stacrk contrast, staff turnover started at a modest 5%. Unlike other company, its figure fluctuated over the categories. under 35 and 55 people age percentage higher then others categories. five number company highest then other company of 93%.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the table’s general subject and include some relevant figures, such as the first company’s 56 employees and the fifth company’s 190. However, the overview is not an accurate summary of the main patterns: the claim that the age groups account for the highest figures is unclear, and “most sectors experienced an upward trend” is not supported by this cross-sectional comparison. Several details are misreported or difficult to interpret: staff numbers do not rise gradually across the rankings, and the fourth company’s ratio is 13:87, not 13:8. The statement that the fifth company has the highest under-35 figure (93%) is accurate, but the high-income and turnover comparisons are not clearly reported. Select a few key contrasts and describe them precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, so there is an attempt to organise the information. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is difficult to follow because several different measures are combined without a clear grouping. For example, the staff-number sequence moves from first to fourth and then to fifth place, while the male-to-female ratios are introduced in the same paragraph with unclear references such as “after then” and “in five number company.” Linking phrases such as “Moreover” and “In stark contrast” are used, but the relationships they signal are not always logical. Group the data by themes, use clear comparisons between companies, and make each paragraph’s focus explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “staff numbers,” “staff turnover,” “high income bracket” and “ratio,” which helps identify the table’s categories. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear, such as “this work is best,” “in 1st number,” and “fluctuated over the categories.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “comapnies,” “incresed,” “femal” and “stacrk,” which reduce precision. Aim to use standard expressions for rankings and comparisons, and check spelling carefully. More accurate terms such as “ranked first,” “the proportion of employees,” and “the highest turnover” would make the report clearer and more appropriate to an academic summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, but control is inconsistent, and errors frequently make relationships between figures hard to understand. Examples include “The table provide information,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect, and “A similar trend observed,” which is missing an auxiliary verb. The sentence beginning “Overall, it is clear that…” also has an unclear grammatical structure, while “under 35 and 55 people age percentage higher then others categories” lacks a clear subject and comparison structure. Punctuation and capitalisation are also unreliable, particularly after “30:70.” Practise accurate sentence frames such as “The proportion of employees under 35 was…” and “Turnover was highest at…” before attempting longer comparisons.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.