Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-20

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 gives information regarding the top five small companies in Britain based on survey performed by national newspaper. It was done to determine which companies work best for employees.

On top of the list is a company with least number of staff, and least percentage of staff turnover. While 2nd, 3rd, and 4th have almost same number of staff members, around 70. While 2nd and third company has a larger percentile of staff in high income tax bracket as compared to 4th, with only 5%. Leading in the staff numbers in the 5th company with the least percentage of staff in high income tax bracket.

Table shows a row for male to female staff ratio in the companies. 1st and 4th listed company has a greater number of female staff members as compared to other companies, where male to female ratio is leading. Another position in the survey is the age factor. 1st, 3rd, and 5th company have staff members under 35 year of age while 2nd and 4th company have very low percentage of employees over 55 years of age.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several relevant features, including the first-ranked company’s small workforce and low turnover, the fifth company’s largest staff and lowest high-income share, and differences in gender and age profiles. However, the overview is incomplete and some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the second, third and fourth companies have similar staff numbers, but the fifth company—not the first—has the largest workforce, and the first has the lowest turnover. The statement that the second and fourth companies have very low percentages of employees over 55 overlooks that the first, third and fifth have 0%, while the fourth has the highest figure at 8%. Include a clearer overview and report key figures accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into paragraphs and generally groups workforce, income, gender and age information, so the reader can follow its broad subject areas. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak: the second paragraph moves from staff numbers to income without clearly signalling the comparison, and the final paragraph shifts from gender to age abruptly. Repeated openings such as “While” and “Table shows” also make the linking feel mechanical. Some references are difficult to interpret, particularly “where male to female ratio is leading,” which does not clearly identify which companies have more men. Organise the report around a concise overview followed by related comparisons, and use explicit links and references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “staff turnover,” “male to female ratio,” “percentage,” and “high income bracket,” which helps communicate the table’s categories. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward. “High income tax bracket” changes the meaning of the table, which refers to income rather than tax, while “percentile” is not the right term for a percentage share. Phrases such as “Leading in the staff numbers” and “where male to female ratio is leading” are also unclear. Choose precise terms for the data and use natural comparison language, such as “had the highest proportion” or “ranked first for staff numbers.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and comparisons, but control is uneven, and several sentence structures are incomplete or faulty. “While 2nd, 3rd, and 4th have almost same number of staff members” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence; it also needs an article before “same.” “Leading in the staff numbers in the 5th company” is another fragment. There are also agreement and article errors, as in “1st and 4th listed company has,” where the plural subject requires “have,” and “based on survey,” which needs an article. Use complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries when combining comparisons.

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