Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-18

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 table compares five top-ranked small British companies across various workplace indicators, including staff size, gender balance, age distribution, turnover rate, and the proportion of high-income earners.

Overall, the 5th ranked company is considerably larger in workforce size, but has the lowest percentage of high-income earners. However, 1st and 3rd ranked companies boast significantly higher percent of high earners and lowest staff turnover rates whereas, workforce gender and age companies vary widely among the five firms.

The 5th ranked company has the largest workforce with 190 employees, followed by 2nd company at 79 employees and 1st firm comprising 56 employees. Furthermore, female employees heavily dominate 4th company approx 87% female followed by 1st company having approx 70% female. Conversely, the 3rd company is predominantly male 74% the 2nd and 5th companies maintain relatively equal balance between male and female staff.

The age group where young workers under 35 form vast majority in 3rd, 5th, and 1st companies at 92%, 93%, and 77% respectively. 1st and 3rd ranked companies show highest retention rates at 5% and 8% in ontrast to other companies. However, the 3rd ranked company has the highest proportion of high- income staff at 74% followed by 2nd firm at 48% and the rest three firm are at the lowest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the table’s main subject and provide a clear overview, especially the contrast between the fifth-ranked company’s large workforce and low high-income share, and the stronger income figures for the second and third firms. Many comparisons are accurate, including the 190 employees in fifth place, the 74% high-income figure for third place, and the low turnover rates of the first and third companies. However, there are factual slips: the third company has 82%, not 92%, of staff under 35, and the first company is not among the two highest for high-income staff. The overview also says the first and third firms have the highest high-earner proportions, although the second is higher than the first. More precise selection and reporting of these comparisons would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a sensible sequence: an introduction, an overview, then paragraphs covering workforce and gender, followed by age, turnover and income. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the data. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Furthermore,” and “Conversely” help signal comparisons, though some transitions feel mechanical or do not clearly connect the information. The final paragraph combines several indicators, and its opening age comparison is difficult to follow because the figures are not presented in the same order as the companies named. Grouping related data more consistently and using clearer references, such as “the third-ranked firm,” would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “workforce size,” “gender balance,” “predominantly male,” “retention rates,” and “high-income earners.” These choices allow you to describe several dimensions of the table and show some flexibility beyond basic terms. Some collocations and phrasing are less natural, however: “companies boast significantly higher percent” and “workforce gender and age companies vary widely” are unclear or awkward. “The age group where young workers…” is also an imprecise way to introduce the age figures. There are a few spelling or form slips, including “ontrast.” Aim for concise, conventional data-reporting language and check that each noun phrase accurately describes the statistic being compared.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including contrast clauses with “whereas” and “However,” and most of the meaning remains understandable. Some grammatical errors recur, though. In “higher percent of high earners,” the article and plural form are missing; “the 2nd company at 79 employees” needs a complete comparison structure; and “the rest three firm are” has errors in word order, number and agreement. The sentence beginning “The age group where young workers…” is also structurally incomplete, while punctuation around the company comparisons is sometimes unclear. Use complete clauses, check articles and plural agreement, and proofread sentence boundaries. Greater accuracy in these areas would make the varied structures more controlled.

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