Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-27

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 present the data regarding the five small companies in britain that become best after the survey of staff conducted by national newspaper to rank which companies are the best for to work for.

the first company shows the lesser amount in the number of staff in compare to 5th and notably remaining companies have less variation in number of staff as for the male to famale ratio company4,3 and second have almost the same amount of ration than the other companies

the employee 1st company in which 77% of them are under 35 which are lesser compare to company 5 respectively have the highest number of employee under 35 as for the staff turnover last rank company have a highest 33% and 4th company have 13% which is less than the 2nd company which has 18% .

As for the staff in high income bracket 3rd company shows the highest result in chart 74 percent minimalistic staff in high income bracket is shown by 5th company

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify several relevant comparisons, including the smallest workforce at the top-ranked company, the high proportion of under-35s at the fifth company, and the third company’s leading share of high earners. However, the response only partially summarises the table: there is no clear overview of the main patterns, and some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. For example, 77% at the first company is not lower than the fifth company’s 93% by a small amount, and the statement that companies 4, 3 and 2 have almost the same male-to-female ratio is misleading: their ratios differ substantially. Important features such as the fourth company’s 87% female workforce and the fifth company’s highest turnover could be presented more precisely. Select the strongest contrasts and report them accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the table, then discusses workforce size and gender, age and turnover, and finally income. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, the ideas are crowded into long, loosely connected sentences, and there is no distinct overview to guide the comparison. Linking phrases such as “as for” are repeated, while connections between claims are sometimes unclear—for instance, the sentence about male-to-female ratios combines three companies without explaining the comparison. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and selected details, and organise each detail around a clear comparison. More precise linking and reference would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “under 35,” and “high income bracket,” which helps communicate the table’s subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making the intended meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “lesser amount in the number of staff,” “almost the same amount of ration,” and “minimalistic staff in high income bracket.” “Best for to work for” is also not a natural expression. Aim for concise, standard reporting language such as “had the fewest employees,” “gender ratio,” and “the lowest proportion of high earners.” Check spelling and word forms, including “female” and “ratio,” to improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine information using clauses, as in “which has 18%,” and use comparative structures to report differences. However, the range of sentence patterns is limited, and attempts at longer sentences often contain errors that make relationships between ideas hard to understand. The opening has agreement and article problems (“the table present” and “conducted by national newspaper”), while “the first company shows the lesser amount … in compare to 5th” has faulty comparative construction. There are also unclear or incomplete sentence structures, particularly in the discussion of gender ratios and high-income staff. Practise accurate simple comparison sentences first, then combine them with clauses using correct agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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.