Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-08

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 6.0)

The following table illustrates the information from a national newspaper, about five best companies which can on the top of the list in a survey of staff conduction.

Overall, the top ranked company has the fewest employees and the lowest staff turnover, while the largest company has the youngest work force but also the highest turnover. In general, high income is most common in the 3rd company, whereas female employees dominate in the 1st and 4th companies.

The 1st company is predominately female with 70% and has 77% staff under 36 age with no staff over 55. Similarly, the 3rdcompany is 82% young and is male dominated and has the highest propotion of high earners at 74%.

In contrast, the 4th company has a high propotion of female staff and the only significant ratio of older staff at 8% over 55, but only 5% are on high income. The fifth company is the largest with staff number of 190, where 51% are males and the rest are females, they have a high number of ratio young staff member with 93% under 35%, with only 2% high income and 33% staff turnover.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify several important patterns accurately: the top-ranked company has the fewest staff and lowest turnover, the fifth-ranked has the most staff and highest turnover, and the third has the largest high-income share. These comparisons give the response a clear overview and address the main features. Some details, however, are incomplete or imprecise. For example, the second company’s figures are omitted, and the first company’s 70% female share is reported without comparing it with the fourth company’s 87%. The phrase “under 36 age” also misstates the table’s under-35 category. To make the account more fully developed, include a few key figures for the second company and compare the companies more systematically across the categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing selected companies. The overview effectively groups the extremes, and transitions such as “Overall,” “Similarly,” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. However, the body moves from the first to the third, fourth, and fifth companies without a consistent organising principle, while the second is left out. This makes the comparisons less complete and the progression somewhat uneven. Some links are also awkward, as in “In contrast” before the fourth company, where the contrast is not clearly specified. Organise the details by category or by ranking, and use explicit comparisons to connect each company’s figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “high earners,” “male dominated,” and “female staff,” which helps communicate the data. There is also an attempt to vary wording through phrases such as “work force” and “high income.” However, several inaccurate or unnatural choices reduce precision: “companies which can on the top,” “staff conduction,” “propotion,” and “high number of ratio young staff member” are difficult or incorrect formulations. Spelling errors in “predominately” and “propotion” are noticeable, and “young” is repeated without much variation. Aim for standard collocations such as “ranked first,” “staff survey,” “proportion of employees,” and “younger than 35.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a clear overview sentence with a contrast (“while the largest company…”), and most of the intended comparisons can be understood. However, some sentence structures are incomplete or awkward, such as “The following table illustrates the information from a national newspaper, about five best companies which can on the top of the list…” The sentence beginning “The fifth company is the largest…” also shifts into “they have,” making the reference and agreement less controlled. Other issues include missing articles and unclear constructions, for example “with staff number of 190” and “with 70%.” Use shorter, complete sentences when describing figures, and check articles, subject–verb agreement, and pronoun references.

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