Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work at home and have a problem with a piece of equipment that you use for your job.

Write a letter to the shop or company which supplied the equipment. In your letter

• describe the problem with the equipment
• explain how this problem is affecting your work
• say what you want the shop or company to do

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Rohan,

i am writing to you to express my disappointment with the keyboard i bought from your store which is not working properly.

i am wroking as a freelancer in one of the IT company and keyboard is my go to stuff which plays a crucial part as a work from home and until now it was in good condition but from 5 days it is not working properly as if i start to type the sentence then the keyboard works automatically like the one key has stuck and continuoes running on screen therefore i would not be able to complete the task on deadline.

i would be most grateful if you can replce that motherboard before 20th november so i can complete the work on time.

yours Sincerely,

Urvee Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the faulty keyboard, explain that it disrupts typing and prevents you from meeting deadlines, and request a replacement by a specific date. These points address the main purpose of the letter. However, the request to replace the “motherboard” is unclear because the problem described concerns a keyboard, and you do not provide useful details such as when or where you bought it or how the company can arrange the replacement. The response also contains 132 words, below the required 150, so the complaint and requested action remain under-developed. Add a little more relevant detail and make the remedy consistent with the equipment problem.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a sensible order: you introduce the complaint, describe the fault and its effect on your work, then state what you want the company to do. This makes the overall message understandable. However, most of the letter is presented as one long paragraph, and the extended sentence beginning “as if i start to type” contains several ideas joined without clear punctuation. The opening and closing are present, but the letter would be easier to follow if you separated the problem and its impact from your requested solution. Use clear sentence boundaries and linking phrases such as “As a result” to show the relationship between the fault and its consequences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the complaint, including “freelancer,” “crucial part,” “stuck,” and “complete the task on deadline,” so the reader can understand the situation. There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems, including “wroking,” “continuoes,” and “replce.” Some expressions are unnatural or imprecise: “go to stuff” is informal, and “replace that motherboard” does not clearly name the faulty item. For a formal complaint, choose more precise phrases such as “essential piece of equipment,” “the keyboard’s keys keep repeating,” and “replace the keyboard.” More accurate spelling and natural collocations would make your message clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason-and-result explanation of how the fault affects your deadlines. The main meaning is generally recoverable, but some sentences are not controlled well: the long sentence beginning “as if i start to type” has unclear clause structure, and “i am wroking as a freelancer in one of the IT company” has problems with articles and number agreement. Capitalisation and punctuation also need attention, particularly at sentence beginnings and in the closing. Use shorter, complete sentences to explain the fault and its effect, and check articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. This would preserve your ideas while making the letter more accurate and easier to read.

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

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