Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-29

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 4.0)

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 the work.

Overall, the five best small companies to work for. the five position in survey in the work for. the first staff number and second male:female ratio and third number of under35s/over 55s and the staff turover and the last staff in high income bracket.

First of all, the first staff number in 1 position 56 and 2 position 79 3rd position 72 4rd position76 5th position190. the male and female ratio 1 position 30:70 2nd position47:53 3rd position 74:26 4th position13:87 5th position51:49.

Secondly, the under 35/over55 the 1 position 77%/0% 2nd position 59%/1% 3rd position82%/0% 4th position 26%/8% 5th position93%/0%. the staff turnover 1st position5% 2nd position 18% 3rd position8% 4th position13% 5th position33%.The staff in high income bracket 1st position 34% 2nd position48% 3rd 74% 4th position 5% 5th position 2%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You include figures for all five companies across each category, and most of the values you report match the table. However, the response is 127 words, below the required 150, and the opening overview does not identify meaningful main features: it mostly lists the table’s categories and contains an unclear sentence about the positions. As a result, the reader gets little summary of the key comparisons, such as the fifth-ranked company having the most staff and highest turnover, while the third-ranked company has the largest high-income share. The data coverage is relevant, but it is presented largely as a sequence of figures rather than a clear summary of the main features.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to two sections of data. The signposts “First of all” and “Secondly” also indicate an attempt to organise the information. However, progression is limited because the body mainly lists figures in the table’s order, without grouping or comparing related patterns. The overview, “the five position in survey in the work for,” is difficult to follow and does not guide the reader. Several figures are joined in long, loosely punctuated sequences, making relationships between details less clear. Organise the body around meaningful comparisons and use complete, clearly linked sentences to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “staff number,” “male:female ratio,” “staff turnover” and “high income bracket,” so the reader can recognise the categories being described. However, the range is narrow and repetitive, with “position” and “staff” repeated throughout, and there is little language for comparing or summarising data. Some phrases are awkward or unclear, such as “the best to the work” and “the five position in survey in the work for.” Spelling errors such as “turover” also reduce accuracy. Build a more varied set of precise expressions for ranking, proportions and contrasts, and check spelling and natural word combinations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

Most of the response uses short, simple structures, and the numerical information is generally understandable. However, sentence control is weak: “Overall, the five best small companies to work for. the five position in survey…” is a fragment followed by an incomplete sentence, while “the first staff number in 1 position 56” lacks a clear grammatical structure. Articles and prepositions are often missing, and punctuation does not reliably separate complete ideas. The response also shows little variety in sentence forms, relying on lists rather than controlled comparisons. Practise writing complete sentences with a subject and verb, then combine related figures using accurate comparative structures and punctuation.

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