Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-30

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 chart represents five companies overall and

their information. First company is quite compressed only holds 56 employes whereas other 2,3,4 are quite close to each other by having 79,72,76 employees respectively. The last comapny holds approx twice of other companies 190 employees in total. This 5th company basically also shows 51:49 male female ratio which represents that gender equality at workplace. On other hand , 3 and 4 company failed to manage equality between male female ratio and first one is quite close enough. This chart also shows people working under 35 and above 55 so as per the provided information majorly all companies are having employees below 35. The most young talented or higher percentage for young talent is of company 5 and only company 4 have higher rate for above 55 employees. The 5th company have higher labour turnover which shows that people arent satisfied and leaving repeatedly whereas company 1 have extremely low turnover of 5 percent and 2,3,4 company also have close to it 18,8,13. Moreover , 3rd company is leading in providing high income bracket than company 2 and 1. Lowest is about company 5 which is hardly 2%.

I think so people should checkout all stats before selecting. First it was looking quite good to go for company 5. but for now i would'nt recommend 5 because of their high turnover rate and their low high income brackets it shows that there something not good that leading all of the members to leave job and causing dissatisfaction

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, such as employee numbers, gender ratios, age demographics, and turnover rates. However, the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. The inclusion of a personal opinion in the second paragraph is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report, which requires an objective summary of the data. While you identified key trends, the comparison between companies could be more structured. To improve, ensure you group information logically rather than listing data point by point, and avoid subjective commentary or recommendations, as these are not required for this task type.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into two paragraphs, but the second paragraph is largely irrelevant to the task. The use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally misused, such as 'On other hand' and 'Moreover'. The progression of ideas is hindered by the informal tone and the shift from data reporting to personal advice. To improve, use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', 'Conversely') and ensure that each paragraph focuses strictly on reporting the data provided in the table without adding personal commentary.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several spelling errors (e.g., 'employes', 'comapny') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'compressed' to describe company size and 'high income bracket' used in a slightly confusing way. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic descriptors. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for data reporting, such as 'workforce size', 'demographic distribution', and 'staff turnover', and ensure you proofread for spelling accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('first company', 'last comapny'), incorrect verb forms ('people arent satisfied'), and punctuation errors, particularly with comma placement. The sentence 'This 5th company basically also shows 51:49 male female ratio which represents that gender equality at workplace' is grammatically clunky and lacks necessary prepositions. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and refining complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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