Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-21

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 shows the top five companies in a survey of staff made by the national government in Britain to reveal which companies are the best to work for.

Overall, the company which ranked the first was the one with the least number of stuff and the company which ranked the fifth was the one with the most number of staff. Also, the percentage of the staff in high income bracket is the highest in the third ranked company.

For the first three top ranked companies, it is shown that the number oof stuff is 56, 79 and 72 for the first, second and third companies. respectively. As for male and female ratio, the third company had the most different ratio compared to the top two which is 74:26. Staff turnover percentages are 5%, 18% and 8%, respectively.

For the the fourth and fifth companies, the staff number in the fifth company was the highest compared to the other companies by 190 staff member. the number of males in the fifth company is nearly equal to the number of females. In the fourth company, the percentage of staff turnover and staff in high income bracket are 13% and 5, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the table’s subject and give a relevant overview, noting that the first-ranked company has the fewest employees, the fifth has the most, and the third has the highest share of high earners. Several selected figures are accurate, including staff numbers and turnover for the top three. However, the report covers the data only partially: it omits the age figures entirely and gives little comparison of the male–female ratios. The introduction also incorrectly says the survey was made by the national government; the task identifies a national newspaper. Some details are incomplete, such as reporting the fourth company’s high-income figure as “5” without a percentage. Include the main patterns across all categories and compare the companies more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs grouping the first three companies and the remaining two. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the body is uneven: the first three companies are discussed across several categories, while the fourth and fifth receive much less coverage, and the age data is not integrated. Some linking is repetitive or awkward, such as “For the first three top ranked companies” and “For the the fourth and fifth companies.” The overview also repeats information that could be developed through clearer comparisons. Use consistent grouping by category or rank, and connect comparisons explicitly so each paragraph advances the summary.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate basic comparisons, including “ranked,” “staff turnover,” “percentage,” and “male and female ratio.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “Stuff” is used where “staff” is intended, and “the least number of stuff” and “the most number of staff” are awkward formulations. “Made by the national government” is also an imprecise description of the survey’s source. Spelling slips such as “oof” and the repeated “the” reduce control. Aim for precise data-reporting language and natural collocations, for example “had the smallest workforce” or “recorded the highest turnover.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce a mix of simple statements and some longer comparative sentences, and the main message is generally understandable. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in sentence construction and punctuation. In “the company which ranked the first,” the article and ordinal form are not natural; “ranked first” is the appropriate structure. The sentence beginning “For the first three top ranked companies” is awkwardly formed, and “the number of staff is 56, 79 and 72” needs clearer parallel phrasing. There are also punctuation and capitalisation problems, including a full stop splitting “companies. respectively” and a lowercase “the” after a sentence boundary. Practise accurate comparative clauses and proofread sentence boundaries.

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