Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-09

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 information about the the five small companies in Britain that came top in a survey of workers carried out by a national newspaper to find the companies that are good to work for. Overall, the 5th organization accounted for the highest figures and proportions putting it in the spotlight of being the best company to work for. However, the 1st company resembled a company not conducive to work for as shown by its staff turnover and staff number.

The first company accounted for 56 members and 30;70 male to female ratio that indicates lack of gender balance probably lacking human rights accounted for 77% of young workers. The turnover was very low to 5% with 34% of workers earning high income. Meanwhile the 3rd company's staff numbers improved to 72% with the unbalanced ratio of 74:26, young workers of 82% and the staff turnover went up slightly however staff in high income bracket accounted for 74%. In contrast, while 2nd enterprise account for 79 staff members, 47:53 male to female ratio, 59%/1% of workers that are under 35s and 55s, 8%turnover and 48% of staff in high income bracket, 4th company had the same number of workers, less male to female ratio of about 13:87. The proportion of under 35s/over 55s had a slight decrease of about 26%/8% as well as staff turnover of about 8%. Staff earning high income dropped drastically. Meanwhile the fifth country had the highest figures and proportions even though the share of staff earning high income is very low.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the table, but the analysis is often confusing and inaccurate. For instance, you describe the 5th company as having the 'highest figures and proportions' without specifying which metrics, and your interpretation of the 1st company as 'not conducive to work for' is a subjective evaluation rather than a neutral summary of the data. Furthermore, some data points are misread or presented in a way that makes comparison difficult, such as the confusing notation '59%/1%'. To improve, focus on grouping data logically (e.g., comparing staff numbers across all companies first) and ensure that your descriptions remain objective and clearly linked to the provided figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of information is often disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Meanwhile' and 'In contrast', the logical progression between sentences is frequently interrupted by unclear references and awkward phrasing. For example, the transition between discussing the 1st and 3rd companies is abrupt, and the comparison of the 2nd and 4th companies is difficult to follow due to the dense, list-like presentation of data. Improving the use of signposting language and ensuring each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would significantly enhance the readability and logical flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations. Phrases like 'putting it in the spotlight of being the best' and 'resembled a company not conducive to work for' are unnatural in an academic context. Additionally, there are errors in terminology, such as referring to the 5th company as the 'fifth country'. While you attempt to use some specific terminology related to business data, the lack of precision and occasional misuse of terms limit your score. Focus on using more standard academic collocations and ensuring that your vocabulary accurately reflects the data presented.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include incorrect punctuation (e.g., '30;70'), missing articles, and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., '2nd enterprise account for'). The sentence structure is often repetitive, and the use of slashes to present data (e.g., '59%/1%') is not appropriate for formal writing. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex sentence structures and ensure that your punctuation and grammatical accuracy are consistent throughout the text.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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