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 given table presents the result of a survey conducted by a newspaper to find out the five best small companies in Britain for employees.

Overall,the company which ranked first has all employees under 35 age while the company which ranked 5th showed greater number of employees and their maximum turnover.

The highest staff numbers about 190 noticed in the company that ranked the lowest among these five companies while the top company showed the lowest number 56.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the table’s subject and report two relevant comparisons: the fifth-ranked company has the most staff and highest turnover, while the first-ranked has the fewest staff. However, the response covers only a small part of the data and gives no meaningful account of other key features, such as the companies’ gender balance, age profiles, or high-income staff proportions. The statement that all employees at the top company are under 35 is inaccurate: 77% are under 35 and none are over 55, so the remaining age group is not described. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the summary minimally developed. Select several major contrasts and support them with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the table, gives an overall observation, and then adds a comparison about staff numbers. This makes the main points reasonably easy to follow. However, the ideas are compressed into three sentences, with no developed body paragraph or clear progression through the table’s features. The transition from the overview to the repeated staff-number comparison also feels abrupt. In addition, “Overall,the” lacks a space after the comma, and the relationship between the age observation and the following comparison could be signposted more clearly. Organise the summary into an introduction, an overview, and one or two paragraphs grouping related comparisons, using linking phrases selectively.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some appropriate task vocabulary, including “survey,” “ranked,” “staff numbers,” and “turnover,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited because the short response repeats basic references to “company” and “employees” without describing the table’s other categories. Some word combinations are unnatural, such as “under 35 age,” “greater number of employees,” and “maximum turnover.” More precise reporting language would make the comparisons clearer and more academic. For example, describe a company as having the “largest workforce” and say that turnover was “highest” rather than “maximum.” Build a wider set of terms for proportions, age groups, gender balance, and income brackets.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes a few complete sentence forms, including a relative clause in “the company which ranked first,” and the main comparisons can be understood. However, the range is narrow, with most information expressed through simple clauses, and several grammatical problems remain. In “Overall,the,” punctuation spacing is incorrect. “Under 35 age” is missing a grammatical construction such as “under the age of 35,” while “showed greater number” needs an article before “greater number.” The phrase “The highest staff numbers about 190 noticed” also lacks a clear verb structure; write, for example, “The highest staff number, about 190, was recorded…” Practise accurate articles, age expressions, and passive reporting structures, then combine related comparisons in varied sentences.

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