Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-31

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)

Shown here is a table displaying information about the top ranked five best companies to work for in Britain in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper. We can observe the table is made in a way in which we can understand and interpret the information easily, such as the staff numbers, male:female ratio, age, staff turnover and the staff in high income bracket.

The company in the first position was surveyed by 56 staff members of the company followed by 79 by another company and so on. The male:female ratio is quite less in the 4th company whereas companies in the other respective positions have an acceptable ratio. And the age factor definitely shows that in all companies, staff of over 55 years old are very less, and the staff in high income bracket is reasonably acceptable whereas the staff turnover is not as much expected by the people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the table’s subject and mention several categories, including staff numbers, age, turnover and income. However, the response reports very few accurate comparisons or figures, so the main features are not adequately summarised. For example, “the staff in high income bracket is reasonably acceptable” is vague and overlooks the sharp differences, from 74% in the third-ranked company to just 2% in the fifth. The claim that turnover is “not as much expected by the people” is unsupported and does not describe the data. The age comparison is also imprecise: the proportion over 55 is 0% in three companies, 1% in one and 8% in another. The response is 142 words, below the 150-word minimum. Select key contrasts and report them with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the table, then comments on staff numbers, gender, age, income and turnover. This gives the reader a general sense of the topics being discussed. However, there is little overall progression from an overview to well-organised comparisons, and most information is compressed into one long paragraph. Linking phrases such as “followed by” and “whereas” are used, but they do not establish clear comparisons across the five companies. The phrase “and so on” also leaves the staff-number information incomplete. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and selected details, and group related comparisons—for example, workforce age and gender, then turnover and income.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms such as “staff numbers,” “male:female ratio,” “staff turnover” and “high income bracket,” showing some awareness of the table’s subject. However, the vocabulary is limited and several expressions are vague or unnatural, which makes the comparisons less precise. “Acceptable ratio” does not explain what is notable about the gender figures, while “reasonably acceptable” gives no measurable information. “Not as much expected by the people” is also an unclear way to describe turnover and introduces an unsupported judgement. Aim for precise reporting language and use terms such as “highest,” “lowest,” “accounted for” and “compared with” to describe the figures rather than evaluate them.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including “The male:female ratio is quite less in the 4th company whereas…” and a sentence beginning “The company in the first position…”. The main meaning is generally understandable, but control is uneven. In “followed by 79 by another company,” the construction is incomplete and the relationship between the number and company is unclear. The final sentence joins several separate points with “and,” making its structure difficult to follow. There are also awkward patterns such as “the staff in high income bracket is,” where the article and agreement need attention. Build shorter, complete sentences around one comparison at a time, checking articles, agreement and punctuation.

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