Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-05

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 given table illustrates data about five different small industries in Britain and discover the outstanding company where individual can work. This information arranged by a national newspaper which research the highest employee.

Overall, what stands out from the table is that the number workers are highest in 5 th position. Another notable point is that the percentages of more than 55s and less than 35s are higher in 5th position and lower in 4th stage also, staff in significant income bracket is maximum in 3rd position.

To begin with, the numbers of worker is 190 in 5th status which is topmost and lowest in 1st position. Furthermore, men and women employee ratio is biggest in 3rd position whereas only 13:47 in 4th position.

Whats more, the percentage of under 35s or upper 55s staffs are seen a upward trend and it is 93%/0 while, 26%/8% in 4th position. In addition, staff turnover is highest in 5th position and lowest in 1st position. Besides, workers who earn better income are highest in 3rd position and it is 74%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting on the main features of the table and making relevant comparisons across the five companies. There is a clear overview attempted at the start, noting key extremes such as the highest staff numbers in the fifth position. However, some parts of the response are under-developed or lack precision. For instance, the comment that the percentages of under 35s and over 55s 'are seen a upward trend' is inaccurate and misinterprets the data, as the table presents distinct categories for five different companies rather than a chronological progression over time. Furthermore, some comparisons lack clarity, such as the incomplete male-to-female ratio comparison for the fourth position. To reach a higher level, the response needs to avoid treating static categorical data as time-series trends and ensure all reported data points are fully accurate and clearly contextualised.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, a brief overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to different data points. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical and disjointed. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often awkward or repetitive, such as 'To begin with', 'Whats more', and 'Besides'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of information lacks seamless logical flow, jumping abruptly between staff numbers, ratios, ages, turnover, and income brackets. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, which disrupts the smooth flow of information. To improve cohesion, you should employ a wider and more natural variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph focuses cohesively on a unified thematic aspect of the data rather than listing isolated figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'percentage', 'ratio', 'turnover', and 'bracket'. However, there are notable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing. For example, 'industries' is incorrectly used instead of 'companies', and phrases like 'discover the outstanding company' and 'highest employee' sound unnatural. There are also awkward collocations and word form errors, such as 'significant income bracket' or 'men and women employee ratio'. While these lexical shortcomings do not completely impede communication, they restrict the score. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use less common vocabulary with greater precision, improve collocation control, and ensure accurate word forms throughout your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, but it is marred by frequent grammatical errors. There are noticeable issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'the number workers are' and 'the numbers of worker is'. Article usage is also problematic, missing necessary articles or misusing them, as in 'in 5 th position' and 'highest in 3rd position'. Prepositional errors occur within grammatical patterns, and verb tense or voice choices are occasionally flawed, such as 'staffs are seen a upward trend'. Punctuation and formatting also show minor issues. These errors require some effort from the reader to untangle, though they rarely obscure the overall meaning completely. To improve, focus on mastering basic agreement, accurate article selection, and smoother control over complex sentence structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.