Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-10
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
This summer your local council organised a series of free concerts in your local park. You attended one of the concerts. The council has asked for feedback about the concerts.
Write a letter to the council giving your feedback. In your letter
say which concert you attended
explain why you enjoyed the concert
make suggestions for improving next summer's concerts
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The reason im writing this letter is that im not satisfied with the product i bought lask week .
i bought keifer coffee machine lask week on 50 % sale through websit The order number AS[redacted phone] It got delivered damaged i got the clip of unbloxing video , I have the transaction number of the payment and the i'll attach to this email.
I have tried calling your customer service since day one of the product delivered which is on sep 09 .Eventually waitied for couple of days and i haven't heard from them that feels very disappointed.
i know its a festive season you guys are dealing with buch of orders and customers but waiting the customers for seven days is not a appropriate response either. i hope to hear fine response from you regarding my order.
thankfully.
vishwa velma
order id ; AS[redacted phone]
email :[redacted email]
contact number : [redacted phone].
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The letter clearly explains the main problem: the coffee machine arrived damaged, you have evidence of the unboxing and payment, and you have not received a response after contacting customer service. Including the order reference and asking to hear back gives the reader useful context. However, the requested outcome is not stated clearly: specify whether you want a replacement, refund, or repair. The complaint about the seven-day wait is relevant, but the reason for writing and the action you expect could be expressed more directly. Developing that request and making the key details easier to identify would make the response more complete and purposeful.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The information follows a generally sensible order: you introduce the complaint, describe the delivery and evidence, explain your attempts to contact the company, and close with your details. This gives the letter an overall coherent arrangement. However, the first paragraph contains several ideas joined together with little punctuation, so the order number, damage, video, and payment evidence are difficult to follow. The second paragraph also has an unclear connection between waiting and not hearing back. Use separate paragraphs for the complaint, contact history, and requested resolution, and connect ideas with clear transitions such as “In addition” or “Therefore.” A more conventional closing would also help the letter feel complete.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the situation, including “customer service,” “transaction number,” “delivered damaged,” and “festive season.” These details show an attempt to use language suited to a formal complaint. However, the range is limited, and several spelling and word-choice errors make parts less clear, such as “lask week,” “websit,” “unbloxing,” and “fine response.” Some expressions are also unnatural, including “waiting the customers for seven days.” Choose precise complaint-letter phrases and check spelling carefully; for example, say that the item “arrived damaged” and request a “prompt response.” This would make the message clearer and more professional.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response includes both simple statements and attempts at longer sentences, for example, “I have tried calling your customer service since day one” and the sentence explaining the festive season. The main meaning is usually recoverable, but some sentence structures and punctuation are inaccurate. The opening is a fragment, while “It got delivered damaged i got the clip…” joins separate clauses without suitable punctuation. There are also errors in tense and sentence construction, as in “Eventually waitied for couple of days and i haven't heard from them.” Use complete sentences, consistent past and present-perfect forms, and capital letters at the start of sentences. Breaking longer ideas into shorter, correctly punctuated sentences would improve control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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