Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-03

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 illustrates details regarding five small businesses in Britian that ranks top in a survey of staff conducted by a national press . The survey shows best companies to work for.

Overall, it is clear that survery results are based to multiple factors of a working environment. all comapnies have similar data related to different categoriesbut show huge diffrence in others. However, all the data collectively plays the role in ranking rather than depending on single factor.

In survey, top 2 comapnies have higher female staff as compared to male staff. First rank and second rank recorded 30:70 and 47:53 in a male:female ratio, whereas other ranks has man dominence in working staff expect 5th rank that has nearly balance ratio of 51:49. 1st rank company has lowest working force of 56 members contrary to that 5th rank has large staff with 190 employees, whereas middle ranks has similar figured between 70 to 80 employees.

All businesses prefer to have young workers below 35 with only one campany have 1% elderly employee. Salary is major factor in survey as top 3 has high income braket percentage 34, 48 and 74% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by selecting some key features of the table, such as staff numbers, gender ratios, age groups, and income brackets. However, the coverage is partial and lacks thoroughness. For instance, the overview attempts to summarise the data but contains vague generalisations like "all companies have similar data related to different categories but show huge difference in others." Furthermore, some comparisons are imprecise, and key data points are missed or under-developed. To reach a higher level, you should provide a clearer, more comprehensive overview of the main trends without over-generalising, and ensure all key features across the categories are adequately highlighted and contrasted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates some organisation, with an introductory attempt, body paragraphs, and an overall summary. However, there is no clear overall progression throughout the text, and the transitions between sentences can feel abrupt. Cohesive devices are used rather mechanically, for example with repetitive phrasing such as "whereas" and "contrary to that." Paragraphing is also somewhat disjointed; the second paragraph is quite short and abrupt. To improve, ensure ideas are logically sequenced with smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and use a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally to guide the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical range used is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic information about the chart. There are noticeable spelling errors, such as "Britian" instead of Britain, "comapnies" for companies, "survery" for survey, and "braket" for bracket. Word choice and word formation issues also appear, such as "man dominence" instead of male dominance and "balanced ratio of 51:49" where spelling and phrasing lack precision. To achieve a higher score, you need to expand your vocabulary range, use less common lexical items with greater precision regarding collocation and style, and carefully check your spelling and word forms before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing relies on a limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors involving subject-verb agreement, such as "five small businesses in Britian that ranks top" and "other ranks has man dominence... expect 5th rank that has nearly balance ratio." Article usage is also problematic, as seen in phrases like "in survey, top 2 comapnies have higher female staff" and "with only one campany have 1% elderly employee." These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, work on mastering basic subject-verb agreement, accurate use of articles, and ensure your complex sentences are constructed correctly.

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