Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-01

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 illustrates five small companies information in Britain, that are on top survey of staff, which was conducted by a national newspaper to pick up the best companies for work.

Initially, the position survey of each five companies demonstrates the staff members, male female ratio, under 35s or over 55s, staff turnover and in last staff in high income bracket. These all comes up with different ratios and numbers that simply assist to identify on of the best industry.

The staff members of first company are 56, in second ther are 79, in 3rd company we see there are 72 members, 76 in fourth and in last 190 members in fifth company. Additionally, male female ratio in each department show variety of changes which includes, 30.70, 47.53, 74.26, 13. 87 and 51. 49 respectively.

Now comes the age limit which is under 35s over 55s this clearly shows, 77%/0 % , 59%/1%, 82%/0%, 26%/8%, 93%/0% respectively in each company.

Nevertheless, the data clarifies that, 3rd company is the best to work with as it has more position in survey among all companies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the table’s subject and report several accurate figures, including company staff numbers and the age percentages. However, the response covers the data only partially: it omits staff turnover and the proportion in the high-income bracket, both important comparison categories. The male:female figures are written as “30.70” and similar forms rather than clearly as ratios, which makes them difficult to interpret. The overview is also inaccurate: the third company is ranked third, not “the best” or highest in the survey. To improve, give a concise overview of the main contrasts—for example, the fifth-ranked company has the most staff and highest turnover, while the third has the largest high-income share—and report the remaining categories accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some basic organisation: it introduces the table, then discusses staff numbers, gender ratios and age, with paragraph breaks separating these points. Sequencing words such as “Additionally” and “Nevertheless” also show an attempt to connect ideas. However, there is no clear overall progression from an overview to selected comparisons, and the final claim about the third company does not follow logically from the figures presented. Several transitions, including “Initially” and “Now comes the age limit,” feel mechanical, while “These all comes up” does not clearly refer to a specific set of information. Group the main overview first, then organise details by meaningful comparisons rather than listing each category in sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a table, including “staff members,” “ratio,” “position in survey” and “high income bracket.” This gives the response a basic range suited to the topic. However, word choice and collocation are often awkward or imprecise, as in “on top survey,” “pick up the best companies for work,” and “the best industry.” “Department” is also not an accurate label for the five companies. These choices sometimes make the intended meaning unclear, and the repeated use of “company” and “staff” limits variety. Aim for standard report language such as “ranked,” “employees,” “proportion” and “workplace,” and use precise terms for the table’s categories.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can generally identify the topic and many of the figures. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “five small companies information” lacks a clear grammatical relationship, while “These all comes up” has incorrect subject–verb agreement. The opening sentence also has an awkward clause structure, and “in last staff in high income bracket” is not formed as a complete, clear list item. Punctuation around clauses and figures is inconsistent. Practise building accurate sentences with a clear subject and verb, such as “The table compares five companies by staff size, gender, age, turnover and income.”

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