Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-19

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 6.0)

The given table represents the information of five small companies in Britain that came top in survey of staff conducted by a national newspaper to find out which companies are the best to work for.

Overall, the companies differed considerably in terms of staff composition and employment patterns. The fifth ranked company had by far the largest workforce and proportion of younger employees. While third rank company had highest share of high income staff.

In detail, the fifth ranked company had the highest number of staff around 190. Whereas the proportion of both genders was about 51:49. However, people under 35s / over 55s had ratio around 93%/0%. Staff turnover were at 33% ratio. Only 2% staff had high income bracket. The second ranked company had 79 employees, followed by the fourth, third and first ranked companies had 76, 72, 56. In terms of gender first and fourth company highly dominated by female. By contrast, clearly third company had majority of male at 74%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the table, including workforce size, gender distribution, and age demographics. You successfully identify key trends, such as the fifth-ranked company having the largest workforce and the third-ranked company having the highest proportion of high-income staff. However, the report is somewhat incomplete as it fails to mention the staff turnover rates for most companies, and the data presentation for the first, third, and fourth companies is slightly cluttered. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more balanced overview of all categories provided in the table rather than focusing heavily on just one or two metrics.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. While the logical progression is generally clear, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. For example, the transition between the overview and the detailed body paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when listing the company rankings; using more precise linking words like 'respectively' would improve the flow and clarity of your comparisons. Paragraphing is present, but the body paragraph is quite dense and could be split to better separate the different data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'workforce', 'proportion', and 'turnover'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'staff turnover were at 33% ratio' (should be 'was') and 'first and fourth company highly dominated by female' (should be 'were dominated by females'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated reporting verbs and varied ways to describe statistical changes or comparisons.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'third rank company had highest share' (missing articles) and 'people under 35s / over 55s had ratio' (awkward phrasing). Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, for instance, 'staff turnover were'. While the meaning remains clear, these frequent errors in basic grammar and article usage prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for articles and pluralization will significantly enhance your accuracy.

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