Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-07-30

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 illustrated chart highlights the information of the five smallest companies in britain, that were ranked top in a survey of staff, conducted by a national newspaper to investigate which companies are the best to work for,

Overall, the companies were compared on several different criterias, such as staff numbers, male to female ratio, workers being under 35 and over 55, the staff turnover, aswell as the amount of staff being in a high income bracket.

The largest company has 190 employees, however also has the highest percentage of workers being under 35, with 93%. It is also worth to notice that this particular company was ranked 5th and also has the most equal male to female ratio with 51:49. 77 Percent of the highest ranked company were under 35 and the male to female ratio was 30:70. They also recorded the lowest staff turnover with 5%. The 3rd ranked company hat the largest amount of staff being in a high inccome bracket, with 74% and also reported the highest male to female ratio with 74 to 26 percent.

The company that came in fourth in the survey hat the highest female working percentage with 87 percent, but also denoted only 5% off the staff being in the high income bracket.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data and made relevant comparisons between the companies. You covered the key metrics such as staff numbers, age demographics, and income brackets. However, the response lacks a clear overview paragraph that synthesizes the most significant trends, which is essential for a high band score. Additionally, some data points are slightly confusing; for instance, you mention the 'highest ranked company' without explicitly naming it or clarifying its position relative to the table. To improve, ensure you provide a concise summary of the most striking differences or similarities across the five companies in your introduction or overview.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'however' and 'it is also worth to notice', to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions between sentences feel abrupt. The use of referencing could be more precise; for example, referring to 'the 3rd ranked company' and 'the company that came in fourth' is clear, but the overall progression between paragraphs could be smoother. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus to enhance the logical structure of your report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'staff turnover', 'income bracket', and 'demographics'. There are some spelling errors, such as 'criterias' (the plural of criterion is criteria), 'inccome', and 'hat' (instead of 'had'). Additionally, some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'denoted only 5% off the staff'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure accurate spelling. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and comparative structures would also help elevate the quality of your lexical choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'the information of the five smallest companies' (should be 'about'), 'criterias', and 'it is also worth to notice' (should be 'worth noting'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with comma usage and sentence boundaries. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing data to improve your accuracy.

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