Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-10

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 5.5)

The chart illustrates the infomation about five small sacle companies in Britain by conducted survey by a national newspaper. The chart compare companies based on positions number of staff members, gender distribution, age group, staff turnover and distribution of salary.

Overall, 1st ranked company have most stable environment so employees cannot want to change their job. Meanwhile third ranked company pay high salary to their employees. Whereas fifth ranked company have wide number of staff then others.

Turning to the details, high number of staff in five companies is fifth ranked companies is 190 which compares with first ranked company where number of staff is 56. Meanwhile other three companies lies between 72 to 79, Whereas gender distribution doing in right way in fifth ranked company that is 51:49 which compares with forth ranked company 13:87.

In terms of staff turnover first ranked company have good environment and suitable working conditions so there staff turnover is low that is 5 percent. Whereas it compared with fifth ranked company which have high staff turnover that is 33%. Distribution of high salary is in third ranked company which is 74 percent ann where company paid low salary to staff is fifth ranked company which paid only 2 percent staff high salary.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant features, including the largest workforce (190 at the fifth-ranked company), the smallest (56 at the first), the lowest and highest turnover (5% and 33%), and the highest share in the high-income bracket (74% at third place). The overview also attempts to compare the companies. However, some interpretations are not supported by the table: low turnover does not establish that employees “cannot want to change their job,” and the table gives no information about working conditions or whether salaries are high in absolute terms. Important contrasts, such as the age profiles and the first company’s 30:70 gender ratio, are omitted. Select the main patterns and describe them neutrally, without inferring causes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs giving details. This helps the reader identify the main topic, and comparisons such as 190 versus 56 and 5% versus 33% are grouped sensibly. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the gender comparison is inserted between workforce size and turnover, and the final paragraph shifts from turnover to income without a clear transition. Repeated use of “Whereas” and “Meanwhile” makes linking feel mechanical, while phrases such as “which compares with” do not always make the relationship clear. Organise details by theme and use more precise links between comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “gender distribution,” “staff turnover,” “ranked,” and “high salary,” so the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “wide number of staff,” “doing in right way,” and “distribution of salary.” There are also spelling errors, including “infomation,” “sacle,” “forth,” and “ann,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for concise, conventional language for describing tables, and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “workforce,” “female employees,” and “share of staff in the high-income bracket” would make the report clearer and more appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use comparison structures, but control is inconsistent, and many sentences contain errors in agreement, articles, or verb forms. For example, “1st ranked company have” should use a singular verb, while “other three companies lies” has incorrect agreement. The sentence beginning “The chart compare companies” also needs a plural subject and a clearer grammatical structure. Some complex sentences become difficult to follow, particularly “Whereas it compared with fifth ranked company which have high staff turnover.” Build accuracy first with clear simple sentences, then combine them using correctly formed clauses. Check singular and plural subjects, articles before company references, and punctuation.

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