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 illustrates a staff survey carried out by national newspaper in Britan, about five small companies, to figure out which companies are good to work for.

Overall, four companies have number of under 100, except for one company which also have highest staff turnover. Two companies have more female staff as compared to male staff. Moreover, only one company have staff over the age of 55. Only one company has staff salaries over 50%.

Firstly, the number of staff is highest in only one company, which is 190. Meanwhile, all other companies have number of staff less than 100. Although, the company with less staff has low staff turnover, in contrast to comapny with large number of staff.

There is less than 50% staff in high income bracket in four comapnies, despite one company which has over 50%, but it has no employee over the age of 55. Staff over the age of 55 is seen in only one company, which has highest female employes. The second largest female employes are in the company which has lowest staff turnover, whereas lowest female staff is seen in comapny which employes receive most salaries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several relevant features, including the largest workforce (190), the generally small staff numbers, the presence of employees over 55 at only one company, and the contrast in turnover. These points show an attempt to summarise and compare the table. However, some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate: “only one company has staff salaries over 50%” does not match the data, since the table reports the proportion in a high-income bracket, and the highest figure is 74%, not a salary level. The claim that the company with the most staff has the highest turnover is correct, but the comparison with the smallest company is not clearly supported. Include more precise comparisons across the rankings, especially the high-income figures and age profiles, and make the overview more exact.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting details. Sequencing words such as “Overall,” “Firstly,” “Meanwhile,” and “Moreover” help signal the organisation, and the reader can follow the main comparisons. However, some links are mechanical or do not express the relationship clearly. For example, “Although, the company with less staff has low staff turnover, in contrast to comapny with large number of staff” combines contrast markers awkwardly and leaves the comparison imprecise. The final paragraph also moves between income, age, and gender without a clear grouping principle. Organise details by comparable categories or rankings, and use referencing that makes each company being discussed unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “staff turnover,” “high income bracket,” “female staff,” and “over the age of 55.” This gives you a workable range for the task, and most of the intended meaning is understandable. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “companies are good to work for,” “staff salaries over 50%,” and “highest female employes.” There are also spelling errors, including “Britan,” “comapny,” and “employes,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise data-reporting language and check spelling carefully. For example, describe the percentage of staff in the high-income bracket rather than referring to salaries as a percentage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “Although” and “whereas,” and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction. Examples include “carried out by national newspaper” (missing an article), “four companies have number of under 100,” and “one company have staff over the age of 55.” The sentence beginning “Although” is also punctuated and structured incorrectly, since it is followed by “in contrast” without a complete, well-formed comparison. Work on subject–verb agreement, article use, and building complete contrast clauses. More accurate control of these patterns would make your comparisons clearer.

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