Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-08

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 provided table chart illustrates the information regarding of the staff survey in top five small accommodations in Britain, it was conducted by a national newspaper to find out which corporations are the best for work.

Overall, it is evident that the company in 5th rank has significant number of staff member and the 1st have least number of members.

Looking at the categories with the highest figures of staff members was the company who was in 5th position it was 190 in numbers, along with this, the lowest categories was the 1st rank corporation was have only 56 employees. The 2nd, 3rd , and 4th positions administrations was have quite relevant staff numbers it was 79,72 and 76, respectively. The employees who was over 55s was 0% in 1st , 3rd and 5th ranks business and who was under 35s it was 77%, 82% and 93%, respectively.

Moreover, the significant number of staff turnover was 33% it was in 5th rank organization and least represented by 5% in 1st position. Whereas the high income bracket of staff was in 3rd rank it contributed by 74% and the 4th rank had 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You successfully highlighted the extremes in staff numbers and turnover, as well as the age demographics. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic. To reach a higher band, ensure your overview highlights the most significant trends or contrasts rather than just stating the highest and lowest figures. Additionally, some data points, such as the 'high income' bracket, are mentioned without sufficient context or comparison to the other companies, which limits the depth of your analysis. Overall, the response is relevant and addresses the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Looking at', and 'Moreover' to transition between ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly repetitive. There are instances where the flow between sentences is disjointed, particularly in the third paragraph where the transition between staff numbers and age demographics feels abrupt. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus to enhance the overall progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the necessary information about the survey results. You use some topic-specific terms like 'staff turnover', 'income bracket', and 'demographics'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'accommodations' instead of 'companies' and 'administrations was have' which is grammatically incorrect and lexically imprecise. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for business reporting and avoid repeating basic verbs like 'was' or 'had'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and adverbs would also help to elevate your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'administrations was have', 'employees who was') and incorrect preposition usage. The sentence structure is often repetitive, relying heavily on 'it was' or 'there was'. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect verb forms in relative clauses.

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

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