Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-22

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 illustrates the results of survey of staff ,conducted by national newspaper about five small companies in Britain, which companies are the best to work for.

Overall, the top first campany have the lowest number of employee, with lowest male to female ratio and staff turnover. Where as the 5th comapny have the largest number of workers with highest number of young employees (93%) and high staff turnover.

The staff number is highest for 5th rated company (190). It is followed by 79, 76,72,and 56 for 2nd , 4th, 3rd and 1st rated company respectively.

The male to female ratio is highest for top 3rd comapny with a ratio of 74:26. It is followed by other companies in the following order 51:49 (5th), 47/53 (2nd), 30:70 (1st) and 13:87 (4th).

Likewise, under 35 years staff are highest in fifth rated company with a proportion of 93%, while lowest in 4th rated company.

Similarly, highest turnover is seen in 3rd company reaching to 74%. The first company shows a little turnover of 5%.

In contrast, higher income brachet is recorded in 3rd company in survey with 74%. This proportion is 48% for 2nd company followed by 34%, 5% and 2% for 3rd,4th and 5th respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the table’s subject and provide an overview contrasting the first- and fifth-ranked companies, then report several comparisons. However, some key figures are misinterpreted, which limits the accuracy of the summary. Most importantly, “highest turnover” is attributed to the third company at 74%, but 74% is its male-to-female ratio; its turnover is 8%, while the fifth company has the highest turnover at 33%. The income comparison also says 34% belongs to the third company, although it belongs to the first. You correctly identify the fifth company’s 190 staff and 93% under-35 figure, and the first company’s 5% turnover. Check each figure against its row and include the over-55 data for a fuller account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing staff numbers, gender ratios, age, turnover and income. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow. Sequencing within the comparisons is generally logical, and phrases such as “It is followed by” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. However, the repeated use of “Similarly” and “Likewise” makes some transitions feel mechanical, and the final income sentence is difficult to follow because the sequence of percentages is inconsistent with the company rankings. Group related features more deliberately—for example, age and turnover together—and use clear references such as “the first-ranked company” to maintain progression and avoid ambiguity.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for describing a table, including “proportion,” “ratio,” “turnover,” and “income bracket.” These terms help communicate the main categories, and the response is generally understandable. However, spelling errors such as “campany,” “comapny,” and “brachet” are noticeable, while phrases including “top first” and “a little turnover” are not natural or precise in this context. “Highest number of young employees” is also less accurate than describing the highest proportion of staff under 35. Aim for consistent, accurate forms of ranking and use standard collocations for percentages and staff characteristics. Proofreading spelling and word choice would make the comparisons clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparative sentences, and most of the intended meaning can be understood. There are, however, recurring errors in articles, sentence construction and punctuation. For example, the opening needs “a survey” and “a national newspaper,” while “Where as the 5th company…” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. The phrase “highest turnover is seen in 3rd company reaching to 74%” also has an unclear grammatical relationship between the company and the percentage. Commas and spaces around punctuation are inconsistent, as in “staff ,conducted” and “2nd , 4th.” Practise forming complete sentences with accurate articles and use a clear structure such as “Turnover was highest at 33% in the fifth-ranked company.”

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