Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-05

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 6.5)

The table illustrates data regarding five best companies in Britain for whom people should work and this information is gathered during a survey of staff working in these companies while the survey is executed by national newspaper.

Overall, the table depicts that the company who stood 1st had small staff as compared to others. Gender ratio and age of staff varied as we move across the table while staff turnover was highest in the company who took 5th position among others. The same company showed poor performance in giving high salaries to their staff in comparison with the rest.

At first, carefully looking into the top ranked company which had only 56 workers while this particular variable showed different figures for the rest of companies with the highest number of 190 people in the company who kept the 5th position. Male members were less for most of the companies except the two who attained 3rd and 5th positions. Females were higher comprising 87 of the total proportion which was highest of all .

Most organisations had young people in the team with age below 35 years ,while old workers(above 55 years) made only 1 to 8 percent of the total staff. Staff was observed to be highly satisfied with the top listed company showing only 5% of workers who left the work while a high percentage of 33% staff turnover was observed in the 5th ranked company. Furthermore, only 2% of the total workers of the last ranked company were offered high salary package while other companies offered high income with data showing maximum 74% workers for the 3rd ranked company.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify several important patterns, including the first-ranked company’s smallest workforce, the fifth-ranked company’s highest turnover, and the third-ranked company’s leading share of high earners. These comparisons show a sound grasp of the table, and the overview gives the reader a useful summary. Some details, however, are incomplete or imprecise: the statement that older workers made “only 1 to 8 percent” overlooks that four companies had 0% over-55s, and the female figure of 87 is presented without the percent sign or the fourth company’s 13:87 ratio. The claim that staff were “highly satisfied” is also an inference rather than a measure shown in the table. More precise reporting of the age and gender data, alongside the useful overview, would make the coverage more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a summary of the main patterns, and two paragraphs of supporting details. The progression from workforce size and gender to age, turnover and income is generally easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Furthermore” and “while” help connect information, although some transitions feel mechanical or do not clearly signal the relationship between points. For example, “At first, carefully looking into” is an awkward lead-in, and the shift from age to turnover within the final paragraph is abrupt. Some references, such as “this particular variable” and “the same company,” require the reader to infer which data or company is meant. Clearer topic sentences and more direct references would strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the table, including “staff turnover,” “high income,” “proportion” and “ranked.” Some attempts at more formal phrasing are less natural or precise, however. “For whom people should work” does not clearly express that these are companies rated as good employers, while “poor performance in giving high salaries” overstates what the table measures: it reports the share of staff in a high-income bracket. “High salary package” is also an imprecise substitute for that category. Repeated use of “company” and “staff” limits variety, and a few phrases such as “kept the 5th position” sound unnatural. More accurate collocations and consistent use of the table’s labels would improve precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while” and “which,” and the main comparisons are usually understandable. Some grammatical errors remain. The opening sentence has an unclear structure: “for whom people should work” does not fit smoothly with the rest of the sentence. In “At first, carefully looking into the top ranked company … while this particular variable showed,” the opening phrase is not properly attached to a main clause. There are also article and number issues in “the company who stood 1st” and “87 of the total proportion,” as well as punctuation spacing around commas and full stops. Aim to build each sentence around a clear subject and verb, and check articles, plurals and punctuation when editing.

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