Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-18

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 depicts the information about the five small industries in Britain that came top in a survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to find out which enterprises are the best to work for.

Overall, the maximum staff numbers in fifth position was 190, while the minimum in first company was 56.

In detail, staff number in first position was 56 and which increased in second position was 79, it fell to 72 in third position, while in fourth position staff number inclined 76, it boost up to 190 in fifth position. Moreover, male and female ratio first position had 30:70 and which male increased to 47 and female fell to 53 in second position, whereas male inclined to 74 and female declined to 26 in third position, male was decreased to 13 and female inclined to 87 in the fourth position.

In the case of under 35 and over 55, under 35 was 77% in first position and 0% over 55, it fell to 59% under 35 and 1% over 55 in second position. Whereas, under 35 was inclined to 82% and over 55 was 0% in third position

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the table, such as staff numbers and gender ratios, but it fails to provide a complete summary. The data for the 'over 55' category is incomplete, and the report stops abruptly without covering all companies or categories. While the overview identifies the maximum and minimum staff numbers, the body paragraphs are essentially a list of figures rather than a synthesis of trends. To reach a higher band, you must ensure all data categories are addressed and focus on comparing the companies rather than just listing numbers for each one individually.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is mechanical and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple listing structures (e.g., 'in first position... in second position... in third position'). The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes inaccurate, such as the phrase 'and which increased in second position was 79', which creates confusion. The transition between sentences is often abrupt, making the text feel like a series of disjointed points rather than a cohesive report. Improving the variety of linking words and using referencing more effectively would significantly enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You frequently use basic verbs like 'increased', 'fell', and 'inclined' to describe data changes. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'staff number inclined 76' and 'it boost up to 190'. The term 'small industries' is used where 'small companies' would be more accurate based on the prompt. To improve, you should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary for describing trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stable', and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'staff number in first position was 56 and which increased in second position was 79' is grammatically incorrect and difficult to follow. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles (e.g., 'male and female ratio first position'). Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring that your complex sentences are formed correctly to avoid these recurring errors.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.