Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-07-28

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 given table illustrates the 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.

Overall, the 5th company leads in the number of staff members and staff turnover. However, the 1st company has the lowest number of staff members and staff turnover. Moreover, the 5th company has the most stable male: female ratio among all the companies

Initially, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd companies have the number of staff is 56, 79 and 72 staff members, respectively. and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully address the task. While you have attempted to identify some main features, such as staff numbers and turnover, the analysis is incomplete. You have not covered all the data points provided in the table, and the report ends abruptly mid-sentence. To improve, you must ensure you provide a comprehensive overview and support your points with data for all five companies, ensuring the response is of sufficient length to allow for a full development of the information presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response shows a basic attempt at logical organization, with an introduction and an overview paragraph. However, the abrupt ending and the incomplete sentence structure at the end of the text disrupt the flow of information. Cohesive devices are used in a very limited way, such as 'However' and 'Moreover', but the lack of development makes the overall progression unclear. To improve, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that sentences are completed logically, using a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally accurate but quite repetitive and limited in range. Phrases like 'number of staff members' are used repeatedly, which makes the writing feel somewhat mechanical. There is little attempt to use more sophisticated or varied vocabulary to describe the data, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuation', or 'workforce'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate a broader range of topic-specific vocabulary and synonyms to avoid repetition and add precision to your descriptions of the data trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains several grammatical errors, particularly in sentence construction. For example, the phrase 'the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd companies have the number of staff is 56' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'the number of staff in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd companies is 56, 79, and 72, respectively'. Additionally, the text ends with an incomplete sentence ('and'), which is a significant error. To improve, focus on basic sentence structure and ensure that your sentences are complete and grammatically sound before moving on to more complex structures.

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