Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-25

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 bar chart compares the data of five small companies in Britian are the top in staff conducted by anational newspapers to find out the best companies to work for it .

Overall, staff numbers was high and the staff turnover survey was low.

To begin with,five small companes the staff numbers in 2nd was 79 and in 5th was 190 staff numbers. Male and females ratio in 1st was 30 to 70 in a companies and in 3rd 74 to 26 ratio of males and females. Under 35s and over 55s companies work in 1st companie 77% and in 5th companie 93%. Staff turnover in 1st companie was 1% and in 2nd companie was18%and 3rd companie was 8%. Staff in high income bracket was in 1st year 34% and in 2nd year 48% and in 3rd year was 74%.

In conclusion, the best small companies work in staff numbers and male and females ratio and under 35s they all work was very helpful for comapnies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the subject as a comparison of five small companies and includes some relevant figures, such as the 190 employees in fifth place and the 74% high-income share in third place. However, the overview is inaccurate and too vague: “staff numbers was high and the staff turnover survey was low” does not clearly summarise the main patterns, and the fifth-placed company actually has the highest turnover at 33%. Several figures are also misreported: first-place turnover is 5%, not 1%, and the response omits important contrasts, including the large differences in gender balance and income levels. The final sentence adds an unsupported claim that these features were “very helpful.” Select the clearest comparisons and report them accurately to make the summary more complete and relevant.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response with an opening, an overview, a body paragraph and a conclusion. The sequence of figures in the body gives the reader some sense of the table’s categories. However, progression is weak: the overview does not guide the reader, and the body moves from staff numbers to gender, age, turnover and income without clearly grouping or comparing the companies. Linking is limited, while phrases such as “To begin with” and “In conclusion” do not create clear relationships between the data. The conclusion largely repeats broad claims rather than synthesising the main features. Group related comparisons together and use clear references such as “the first- and third-ranked companies” to improve flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “staff numbers,” “male and females ratio,” “staff turnover” and “high income bracket,” so the reader can recognise several table categories. However, vocabulary is repetitive and some word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear, as in “the best companies to work for it” and “companies work in.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “Britian,” “companes” and “comapnies,” which reduce accuracy. Use precise reporting language and vary expressions for comparison, such as “ranked,” “accounted for” and “compared with.” Check spelling and avoid adding unclear phrases that do not describe the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, but sentence structures are limited and errors occur frequently. Subject–verb agreement is inaccurate in “staff numbers was high,” and the opening sentence lacks a clear grammatical structure: “The bar chart compares the data of five small companies in Britian are the top…” Articles, plurals and sentence boundaries are also problematic, as in “in a companies” and the run-on sequence “was18%and 3rd companie was 8%.” These errors sometimes make relationships between the figures difficult to follow. Practise building accurate simple comparison sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses using “while” or “whereas.” Pay particular attention to agreement, articles and punctuation.

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