Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-29

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 about five britian companies that ranked at peak in a survey of staff.This survey is conducted by a national newspaper to know which company are best to work.The positions in survey are mentioned as staff members,male and female ratio,under 35s and as well as over 55s,staff turnover and staff in high income bracket.

Regarding the 5th satff numbers,the fifth company had the most employes,at 190.Compared with 1st ranked company with least common 56.The second,third and fourth company had relatively similar workforces,ranging from 72 to 79 employes.In terms of gender distribution the first company had a strong female majority with a male ratio 30:70.By contrast the third company had the highest proportion of male employe at 74.

With respect to age,Fifth company had the youngest workforce with 93% of its employes under 35,while the fourth company had highest porportion of workers at age over 55,at 8%.Staff turnover was recorded as lowest in 1st comapny with 5%,followed by third comapny at 8%.In contrast the 5th company worforce ranked highest among other with 33%,Finally the third company had the largest porportion of high income with 74%,Whereas the 5th company had recorded the least common at 2%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report several relevant comparisons accurately: the fifth-ranked company has the largest workforce (190), the first has the smallest (56), the fourth has the highest share of employees over 55 (8%), and the third has the largest high-income share (74%). However, the overview is not clearly stated; the opening mainly lists the table categories rather than summarising its main patterns. Some details are incomplete or imprecise: the third company’s male share is given as 74% without explicitly identifying it as a percentage, and the gender comparison omits the fourth company’s especially high female share (87%). The age and income comparisons are useful, but the response does not consistently select and explain the most significant contrasts across the five companies. A concise overview and more precise comparisons would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence: it introduces the table, then discusses workforce size and gender, followed by age, turnover and income. Paragraphing helps separate the introduction from the comparisons, and linking phrases such as “By contrast” and “In terms of” guide the reader. However, the opening sentence is followed by a list of categories rather than a clear overview, so the progression into the details is not fully effective. Some transitions are mechanical, particularly “Finally” before the income comparison, and the final paragraph contains several statistics in a long run-on sequence. Grouping related comparisons more deliberately and using clearer sentence boundaries would make the organisation smoother and references easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “gender distribution,” “workforce,” “staff turnover,” “female majority” and “high income.” These terms help communicate the main categories and comparisons. However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, for example “britian,” “employes,” “porportion,” and “least common.” Some phrases are also unnatural or unclear, such as “ranked at peak,” “the least common at 2%,” and “the most employes.” Use standard collocations for describing data, such as “ranked first,” “had the largest workforce,” and “the lowest proportion.” More accurate spelling and more precise comparative language would make the report clearer and more appropriate in style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple statements and longer comparative sentences, including “Compared with the first-ranked company…” and “while the fourth company had…”. The main comparisons are usually understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “The table illustrates about five…” has an awkward sentence pattern, and “the third company had the highest proportion of male employee at 74” lacks a clear percentage construction. Articles and possessives are also inconsistent, as in “Fifth company” and “its employes,” while punctuation is weak in the final sequence, where several ideas are joined without clear sentence boundaries. Aim for complete, controlled sentences and check articles, plural forms, and punctuation when combining comparisons.

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