Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

dear sir or mam

I would, like inform to you i bought an equiment in your shop that is not working properly. i had many problems to do my work with this equiment.

I bought the piece of equiment in your shop that this is located at joher town,i was visit to your shop but you not available it then I purchase it online on your website.however this equiment not best quality and also not working.I use this and relise its not working properly and also finishing this is to much effecting my work and my image also.however i can,t ecpect from your company to like this happen.I am very disappoint from your company, this is also waste my time and my expensive metirial this only for your effectiv piece

Hopefully,you understand me, so i want to exchange this equiment as soon as possible, or reffund my amount and I continue my work.

your,s thanking

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main purpose of the letter: you explain that the equipment is not working, describe its effect on your work, and request an exchange or refund. The impact is relevant, especially when you say it is affecting your work and wasting time and materials. However, some details are unclear or under-developed. For example, the problem itself is not specified beyond saying the equipment is “not working properly,” so the company cannot tell what has gone wrong. The explanation of how it affects your work and your request could also be more precise. A clearer account of the fault, its consequences, and the action you expect would make the response more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable sequence: you introduce the complaint, give some purchase background, describe the impact, and make a request. Paragraph breaks also help separate the opening from the main complaint and closing. However, progression is difficult to follow in places because several ideas are crowded into one long paragraph, and links such as “however” are repeated or do not show a clear contrast. The purchase details interrupt the explanation of the fault, while references such as “this” and “it” are sometimes unclear. Organise the letter into focused paragraphs—purchase and fault, work impact, then requested solution—and use simpler, more precise links between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some vocabulary relevant to a complaint, including “not working properly,” “exchange,” “refund,” and “waste my time.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the message difficult to interpret, such as “equiment,” “effecting my work,” “expensive metirial,” and “reffund my amount.” Some expressions are also unnatural, including “not best quality” and “my image.” Choose precise complaint language and check spelling: for example, explain that the equipment is defective, that it is disrupting your work and wasting materials, and that you would like a replacement or a refund. This would make your meaning clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, but control is limited, and errors frequently make the letter difficult to read. Examples include “I would, like inform to you,” “I bought the piece of equiment … that this is located,” and “I use this and relise its not working.” These show problems with verb forms, sentence construction, articles, and punctuation. The long sentence beginning “I use this” joins several ideas without clear grammatical links, while the closing “your,s thanking” is not formed as a correct sign-off. Use shorter sentences with a clear subject and verb, such as “I purchased the equipment from your website, but it does not work properly.” Then proofread for sentence boundaries and basic verb forms.

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

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