Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-02

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 gives the data about top five small companies in Britain according to the staff survey conducted by a national newspaper to find out the best companies to work for.

Overall, the top most company has minimum staff, a good gender ratio. Moreover they have young staff and they pay high salaries as compared to others. Opposite to the first company, others have staff members more than 70 and they have uncertainty in other categories as well.

Company that topped the group has minimum no of employees with 30/70 male/female ratio. In addition to this, their total staff is under 35 and they have least turnover ratio. Although they have 34% high salary members which is lower than the second and third company.

But second, third and forth company have members more than 70, and prior two have higher male staff than female. Even the company that placed second have turnover percentage of 18%. Noticeably, every company has young staff with forth company having 8% above 55.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the table, such as staff numbers, gender ratios, and turnover. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and contains inaccuracies. For instance, you state the top company has the 'least turnover ratio,' but the table shows the second company has 18% and the fourth has 15%, while the first is 12%, which is indeed the lowest, but the comparison is not clearly articulated. Additionally, the description of the second, third, and fourth companies as having 'uncertainty' is vague and does not accurately reflect the data provided. To improve, ensure that comparisons are precise and directly supported by the figures in the table.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover,' 'In addition to this,' and 'Although,' which assist in linking ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'Opposite to the first company,' which is not the most natural way to introduce a contrast. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother to ensure a more professional academic tone.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. You use basic descriptors like 'good gender ratio' and 'high salaries,' which are somewhat generic. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'top most company' (should be 'top-ranked company') and 'forth company' (should be 'fourth company'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific terminology related to data analysis, such as 'proportion,' 'fluctuation,' or 'predominantly.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as missing articles ('the top five,' 'the second company') and subject-verb agreement issues ('second, third and forth company have'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is sometimes repetitive. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and consistent pluralization will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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