Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to dissatisfaction with lately service offered at electronics mart shop. I visited the shop on 3rd September, 2026 to purchase grinder.

As I am the regular customer for buying all electronic devices from your shop. I have been visiting your shop since 2009. Recently, I had experience and unfortunate incident at shop. Therefore, I came to buy grinder at your shop but at home it did not worked properly. So, I came for the replacement of it. Your employee did not resolved my problem and he was hang up with someone. Secondly, he behaved rudely because of it I got disappointed. However, I couldn't ignore all this as he hearted my sentiments. Rather then providing me solution of my malfunctioned grinder, he was attending other trivial things. Moreover, I am old customer and in this long time as I have experienced this such happening first time.

I would appreciate if you could replace my grinder and take strict action against him.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Your sincerely,

ABC

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses the main requirements of the task: expressing dissatisfaction, explaining the incident, and requesting a resolution. However, the tone is inconsistent and occasionally confusing. For example, the phrase 'he was hang up with someone' is unclear and does not effectively convey the employee's behavior. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding your status as a 'regular customer'. To improve, ensure that the sequence of events is presented more logically and that the tone remains professional throughout the complaint. The closing is appropriate for a formal letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or misused. For instance, the transition 'However, I couldn't ignore all this' feels abrupt, and 'Rather then' (should be 'Rather than') is used incorrectly as a connector. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words—such as using 'consequently' or 'furthermore' more naturally—would enhance the overall cohesion of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and contains several errors in word choice and collocation. Examples include 'lately service' instead of 'recent service', 'did not worked' (grammatical error affecting lexical accuracy), and 'hearted my sentiments', which is an incorrect collocation. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic descriptors. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise terminology for complaints, such as 'defective product' instead of 'malfunctioned grinder' and 'unprofessional conduct' instead of 'behaved rudely'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include verb tense errors ('did not worked'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence structures ('I am writing to dissatisfaction'). While you attempt to use complex sentences, they are often marred by errors in subject-verb agreement or word order. The punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction needs more attention to ensure accuracy. Focusing on basic sentence patterns and ensuring correct verb forms will help improve your score significantly.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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