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 table chart illustrates the survey about top five corporations' staff and better work depicts by a national newspapers.

Overall, it can be seen that the 5th number of company has the highest number of staff as compared to others. However, there are no 55+ age worker work in 1st, 3rd and 5th.

To begin with, there are total 56 staff work in 1st company, which 30 female and 70 male. Moreover, 77% workers are under 35 age and remain are between 35 to 55 age. In 3rd corporation, staff in high income bracket are 74% with the highest proportion among the others, and also total 8% staff turnover.

In company 5th there are nearly 200 staff, which has the most staff members. 51% and 50% male and women, respectively. Apart from this, 5th number organization has the highest staff who are under 35 age. Company 2nd and 4th have 1% and 8% workers are above 55 age, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify a relevant overall feature: the fifth-ranked company has the largest workforce, and you note that no employees over 55 are reported in the first, third and fifth companies. You also include some useful figures, such as the first company’s workforce and the third company’s high-income share. However, coverage is partial and several details are inaccurate: the first company’s 30:70 male-to-female ratio is reversed, and the fifth company’s ratio is given as 51% and 50% rather than 51:49. The overview does not summarise the main contrasts across the table, such as turnover ranging from 5% to 33% or the wide variation in high-income staff. Select and compare the key patterns more systematically.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an opening, an overview and two body paragraphs. Phrases such as “Overall” and “To begin with” help signal stages, and the information is generally grouped by company. However, progression is uneven: the first body paragraph moves from the first company to the third without explaining the comparison, while the second combines workforce size, gender, age and rankings. Some links are unclear, particularly “which 30 female and 70 male,” and “Apart from this” does not express a clear relationship between the points that follow. Organise the details around comparable features—for example, workforce and age, then turnover and income—and use linking phrases to show contrasts and similarities accurately.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “high income bracket,” “proportion” and “under 35,” so the reader can recognise the subject matter. However, word choice and collocation are often awkward or imprecise, as in “table chart,” “better work depicts,” “5th number of company” and “staff work in 1st company.” “Corporations” and “organization” also vary the wording without improving precision; the task concerns small companies. These choices sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. Use standard table-reporting expressions such as “the company ranked fifth,” “employed 56 people” and “the proportion of staff in the high-income bracket.” Check that terms for gender ratios clearly identify male and female shares.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a contrast with “However” and a relative clause beginning “which,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in agreement and verb forms occur in “there are total 56 staff work” and “there are no 55+ age worker work”; the latter also shows problems with plural forms and sentence construction. Articles and prepositions are missing or inaccurate in phrases such as “in 1st company” and “under 35 age.” The sentence “51% and 50% male and women, respectively” is not a complete grammatical sentence. These recurring errors sometimes obscure relationships between figures. Practise complete subject–verb structures and use patterns such as “The company employed 56 staff” and “77% of its employees were under 35.”

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