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 demonstrates a comparison about the top five firms to work for in britain. it is clearly seen that even small companies can make a big success and reach the top of the best companies to exist.

the informations provided by the table shows that, the top 1 company has only recruited 56 which is the least compared to the staff numbers in other companies which goes as 79, 72 76 and 190 in an ascendent order, while the male female ratio differs from a company to another, the first company's ratio goes by 30:70 while it is 47:53 in the second company , 74:26 for the third one , maenwhile it is 13:87 in the fourth company which represents the highest ratio, and a 51:49 ratio for the fifth company. in addition , it is clearly seen that the first company recruites are people between 35 and 55 years old as well as in the third and the fifth company , whereas some of the second and fourth companies' recruites are over 55 years old, in addition the staff turnover in the fifth company is the highest with a 33% while the second company takes the second place with an 18% turnover, the fourth with 13% , the third with an 8% , coming at last the first company with the lowest turnover of a 5%.

more over, in comparison with the staff in high income bracket , the third company takes the first place with a 74% , coming in second place the second company with 48%, thirdly comes the first company with a 34% income bracket, as for the fourth company the income bracket is just at 5% and at last the fifth company with a 2% .

overall , thre table show even a small staff with a fewer number of staff can reach high places .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all the data points provided in the table, including staff numbers, gender ratios, age demographics, turnover, and income brackets. However, the presentation is somewhat mechanical, simply listing data rather than synthesising it into a clear overview of the main trends. While the task is addressed, the 'overview' provided in the introduction and conclusion is quite generic and does not highlight the most significant comparisons or contrasts effectively. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping data logically and identifying the most striking features, such as the inverse relationship between staff size and income levels, rather than listing every figure sequentially.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the flow within paragraphs is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. Phrases like 'the first company', 'the second company', and 'the third company' are used repeatedly, making the text feel list-like rather than analytical. While there are some attempts at linking (e.g., 'in addition', 'more over'), the logical progression is often obscured by the sheer volume of data points being listed. Improving the use of referencing (e.g., 'the latter', 'the former', 'this figure') would help the text flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'the top 1 company' instead of 'the top-ranked company' and 'recruites' used as a noun instead of 'recruits' or 'employees'. The use of 'ascendent order' is also slightly unnatural in this context. While you successfully use terms like 'turnover' and 'income bracket', the overall range is limited, and there is a reliance on basic descriptive language. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and comparative adjectives would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation, capitalization, and grammar that occasionally impede readability. For example, the lack of capitalization for 'Britain' and the start of sentences is a recurring issue. There are also errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'the informations' (information is uncountable) and 'the top 1 company has only recruited 56' (which is missing a noun like 'staff members'). While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these minor errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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