Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-23

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 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.

Overall, the five companies are compared in many spheres, including staff numbers, the male-to-female ratio, ages, staff turnover, and staff in the high-income bracket in hundred percent. The fifth company has the highest staff number. The companies have nearly the same ratio between female and male, except the fourth one. All comapanies participated in specific feature: the number of employees over 55 years old was approximately zero.

The table illustrates that the number of staff is 56,79,72,76 and 190, respectively. The ratio between male and female is 30:70,47:53,74:26,13:87, and 51:49 for the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth companies. Now, the percentages of employees under 35 in each company are 77%,59%,82%, 26%, and 93%, respectively. Staff turnover is 5% for the first company, 18% for the second company, 8% for the third company, 13% for the fourth company, and 33% for the last one.

Staff in high income is 34%,48%,74%,5% and 2% for the first,second,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the data, but it is incomplete as the final sentence is cut off mid-thought. While you have identified key trends such as the staff numbers and age demographics, the report lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the data. You have listed figures extensively, which is helpful, but you need to synthesize this information more effectively by grouping similar data points rather than listing them sequentially. The failure to complete the final sentence significantly impacts the overall task completion, as the analysis of high-income earners is left unfinished.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive start. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than creating a logical flow of comparison. Cohesive devices are limited; for example, you use 'respectively' correctly, but the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. The lack of a concluding sentence or a fully developed final paragraph makes the structure feel unfinished. To improve, use more varied linking words to connect your comparisons between the companies.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use phrases like 'the number of' and 'the ratio between'. While you successfully use terms like 'turnover' and 'high-income bracket', the range is limited. There are also minor errors in punctuation and spacing, such as '30:70,47:53', which makes the text look cluttered. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'number' (e.g., 'figure', 'count', 'proportion') and improve the precision of your descriptive language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and spacing. For instance, there are missing spaces after commas (e.g., '77%,59%,82%'). Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'comapanies'. While the meaning is generally clear, the grammatical control is inconsistent. To improve, focus on proofreading for punctuation and ensuring that your complex sentences are punctuated correctly. The incomplete final sentence also detracts from the overall grammatical accuracy of the piece.

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