Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-20

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)

This table illustrates the top five best small companies in Britain according to a survey conducted by a national newspaper. The survey is based on staff members, male female ratio, age factor, staff turnover and the highest income of staff in that companies.

Overall, the second company has the highest number of staff members followed by 5th company. Likewise, the male female ration of third company is significantly higher than other companies, the age under 35 staff is reflecting in 5th company and staff turnover is more in 5th company. In addition to this, 74% staff , which is at top, is receiving a high income in the 3rd company.

Moreover, first company has less staff members as compared to others. In the same way fourth company has lowest male female ratio in comparison with third company and also has lowest staff under 35 age. Similarly, the 5th company is just providing high income to just 2% of people.

In a nutshell, there is a huge difference in terms of staff members, male female ratio and in salary distribution to staff members but they are still the best companies of Britain according to their survey.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the five companies. However, the reporting of data is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear analytical focus. While you have selected key features, the comparison between companies is occasionally confusing, such as the mention of 'male female ration' without providing the actual figures or clear trends. To improve, ensure you group data logically rather than listing details company by company, and provide more precise comparisons (e.g., 'Company 3 leads with 74% of staff earning a high income, which is significantly higher than the 2% reported for Company 5').

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In addition to this', and 'In a nutshell' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes repetitive, and the use of referencing (e.g., 'the second company', '5th company') feels slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is smoother by using more sophisticated transition phrases rather than relying on simple list-like structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'highest number' and 'less staff members'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'age under 35 staff is reflecting in 5th company', which is not natural English. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to data reporting, such as 'proportion', 'percentage', 'outperform', or 'minimal', and ensure that your word choices are grammatically accurate in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally hinder clarity. For example, 'male female ration of third company' is missing articles, and 'is reflecting in 5th company' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. To improve, focus on the correct use of articles (the/a) and ensure that your sentence structures are grammatically sound. Practicing the use of complex sentences with accurate relative clauses would also help boost your score.

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