Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-16

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 6.5)

The table provides information about the five best small companies to work for in Britain, according to a survey conducted by a national newspaper. It compares their staff numbers, gender ratios, age groups, staff turnover and the proportion of employees in the high-income bracket.

Overall, the fifth-ranked company had by far the largest workforce, while the first-ranked company had the smallest. The third company had the highest proportion of employees in the high-income bracket, whereas the fifth had the lowest. In addition, most employees in all five companies were under 35.

In terms of staff numbers, the fifth company employed 190 people, considerably more than the other four companies, which had between 56 and 79 employees. The gender balance also varied considerably. Females made up the majority of employees in the first, second and fourth companies, at 70%, 53% and 87% respectively. In contrast, males accounted for 74% of staff in the third company, while the fifth company had a relatively even split of 51% male and 49% female.

Regarding age, the fifth company had the highest proportion of employees under 35, at 93%, followed by the third and first companies, at 82% and 77%. The fourth company had the lowest figure, at 26%. Employees over 55 represented only 0–8% of

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student has successfully addressed all parts of the task by providing a clear and comprehensive overview of the table comparing the five small companies. Key features are accurately identified and reported, such as the fifth company having the largest workforce and lowest proportion of high-income earners, and appropriate comparisons are made throughout the text. The data cited (e.g. staff numbers of 190, gender percentages like 70% and 53%) accurately reflects the source table. The overview in the second paragraph effectively captures the main trends. However, the response trails off abruptly at the end ('Employees over 55 represented only 0–8% of'), leaving a sentence incomplete. This prevents a full Band 8 evaluation, but the task is otherwise well covered for a Band 7.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised and easy to follow. The introduction clearly sets the context, the second paragraph provides a well-structured overview of the main features, and the subsequent paragraphs break down the specific details into logical categories (staff numbers, gender balance, and age). Cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'Regarding age', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately, ensuring that each aspect of the table is discussed in its own dedicated section. Although the text cuts off mid-sentence at the very end, the overall progression and logical flow up to that point remain clear and coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, allowing for precision when discussing statistics and comparisons. Appropriate terms such as 'proportion', 'workforce', 'gender balance', and 'respectively' are used naturally. Less common phrases like 'by far the largest workforce' and 'relatively even split' demonstrate a good awareness of collocation and style. While the vocabulary is generally well-chosen and accurate, the incomplete ending slightly restricts the overall lexical variety. Nonetheless, the language used is natural and appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and participial phrases effectively (e.g. 'while the fifth company had a relatively even split of 51% male and 49% female', 'followed by the third and first companies, at 82% and 77%'). Grammatical control is generally strong, with many error-free sentences present throughout the text. Punctuation is handled well when listing percentages and data. Although the text ends abruptly with an incomplete sentence, the grammatical structures used prior to that point are accurate and demonstrate a solid command of English grammar.

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