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)

The table illustrates the details about the best five small companies to work in UK.

Overall, 1st ranked company had less staff than the company at the 5th place. Three out of five companies had female staff than male staff. In comparison 5th ranked company had less staff in high income brackets.

1st ranked company had lowest staff rate (56) while 5th company had 190 staff which showed highest number. Other three companies had around 75 staff. 1st, 2nd and 4th company had more female staff than male. Figures accounted for 30:70, 47:53, 13:87 respectively. Most companies had staff under 35 years, except 1% 55 years old in 2nd rank company and 85 in 4th ranked company.

First and third companies showed company turnover less than 10% and second and third companies figures accounted under 20% while 5th company showed highest turnover of 33%. Third company had most people in high income bracket (74%). Fourth and fifth company had lowest percentage in high income bracket 5% and 2% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the table, such as the staff numbers, gender distribution, and turnover rates. However, the report lacks a clear, cohesive overview. While you mention some comparisons, the data presentation is somewhat disjointed. For instance, the statement 'Three out of five companies had female staff than male staff' is grammatically incomplete and unclear. To improve, ensure you clearly group data points and provide a more structured summary of the trends rather than listing figures in isolation. The comparison between the 1st and 5th ranked companies is a good start, but ensure all data points are accurately interpreted and clearly linked to the companies they represent.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical flow between sentences is often weak. You rely on simple sentence structures, and the use of cohesive devices is limited. Phrases like 'In comparison' are used, but the connection between ideas is often mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as when you mention 'Other three companies' without specifying which ones. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'whereas', 'in contrast') to guide the reader through your analysis more smoothly and logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision. You frequently use basic terms like 'staff', 'company', and 'numbers'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'lowest staff rate' instead of 'lowest number of staff' and 'figures accounted for' used repeatedly. To improve, try to incorporate more varied terminology related to data reporting, such as 'proportion', 'percentage', 'workforce', and 'fluctuation'. Expanding your range of descriptive verbs and nouns will help you achieve a more professional and academic tone suitable for an IELTS Task 1 response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'had female staff than male staff' is missing a comparative adjective (e.g., 'more female staff than male staff'). There are also issues with article usage ('in UK' should be 'in the UK') and prepositional errors. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall fluency. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and comparative structures. Proofreading for these small but frequent errors will significantly enhance your score.

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.