Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-12

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 illustrates the five best small companies to work in Britain. The survey was conducted by a national newspaper and these five companies have excelled in it. It compares the position in survey versus staff numbers, male:female ratio. under 35s/over 55s. staff turnover and lastly staff in high income bracket.

Overall, it is clear that the biggest pattern is the 5th company has the highest staff numbers having also the largest people under 35s/over 55s, while having biggest turnover. The second feature is the 1st company has the largest number of females, while having lowest staff numbers.

The 5th company has the highest staff number at 190 while maintaining almost equal ratio of male and female i.e 51:49 in such a large organization.By contrast, the 4th company has the most unequal ratio of male and female i.e. 13:87, while having highest ratio of females over males.

The 3rd company has the largest number of staff in high income bracket whihc is 74% and highest number of males in the staff of 72. The 2nd company has second highest number of staff numbers.It has a male:female ratio i.e. 47:53 and a turover of 18 %.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant comparisons, including the fifth-ranked company’s largest workforce (190), the third company’s highest high-income share (74%), and the fourth company’s strongly female-skewed workforce (13:87). However, the overview is incomplete and includes a misreading: the fifth company has the highest proportion of under-35s (93%), not the largest number across the under-35/over-55 category as phrased, and it does not have the highest turnover; its 33% turnover is indeed highest. The first company has the fewest staff (56), but the fourth, not the first, has the highest proportion of women. Several important contrasts, such as the first company’s lowest turnover and the fourth’s lowest high-income share, are omitted. Select and report the main patterns more accurately and fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs of comparisons. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is uneven because the final paragraphs move between companies and categories without a consistent organising principle. For example, the third-company sentence combines income and gender, while the next sentence shifts to the second company’s staffing and turnover. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly repeated use of “while” and “The … company.” Grouping related comparisons—such as workforce size and age, then gender, turnover and income—would make the information easier to follow. Use clearer references and transitions so each comparison connects explicitly to the overview.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “male:female ratio,” “high income bracket,” and “unequal ratio,” which helps communicate the table’s categories. However, the range is limited and several phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “the biggest pattern,” “largest people under 35s/over 55s,” and “highest ratio of females over males.” “Staff numbers” and “company” are repeated frequently, and spelling errors such as “whihc” and “turover” reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise expressions such as “largest workforce,” “highest proportion of employees under 35,” and “female-majority workforce.” Check spelling carefully and vary wording without sacrificing clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “while” and the contrast introduced by “By contrast.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence boundaries, articles, agreement and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “The table illustrates the five best small companies to work in Britain” has an awkward grammatical pattern, and “The second feature is the 1st company has…” needs a linking structure such as “is that.” The list in the introduction is punctuated as sentence fragments, and there is no space after the full stop in “organization.By contrast.” Some sentences also lack clear grammatical links between ideas. Practise complete, well-punctuated sentences and check articles and clause structure.

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