Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-30

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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express dissatisfaction caused by the laptop that I purchased from your company two months ago for my remote work. It has a serious fault, as it freezes suddenly and unexpectedly shuts down while working on it.

As I work from home, I rely heavily on this device on a daily basis. I prepare my presentations, use a virtual system for communication and send feedback to my manager. The damage has been caused by unnecessary delays and has adversely affected my commitments. Also, using another device from local shops is expensive and commuting time is an additional negative impacted my precious time.

Since the laptop is still covered by warranty, I would appreciate it if you could arrange a repair or a replacement at the earliest opportunity. Moreover, I expect your company to cover all the transportation costs it requires.

Looking forward to a prompt and satisfactory response.

Yours faithfully,

Smith

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly describe the technical fault, explain the impact on your professional responsibilities, and state your requirements for a resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation of the impact is slightly more precise; for example, you mention 'damage' caused by delays, but it is not entirely clear if you mean damage to your work reputation or the equipment itself. Overall, the task is fully covered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose: the introduction states the problem, the body paragraphs detail the impact and the desired solution, and the closing is standard. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Also', and 'Since' to link your sentences effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The flow is smooth, and the reader can easily follow your argument without confusion. The use of referencing is clear, and the overall structure supports the message well.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal complaint, such as 'dissatisfaction', 'adversely affected', and 'earliest opportunity'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'negative impacted my precious time', which is grammatically awkward. 'Damage has been caused by unnecessary delays' is also slightly imprecise in this context. However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and professionally. To improve, focus on using more natural collocations and ensuring that your word forms are consistently accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'negative impacted' instead of 'negatively impacted' and 'transportation costs it requires' (which is slightly redundant). Despite these occasional errors, your control over grammar is strong, and the punctuation is used correctly throughout. The complexity of your sentences is sufficient for this task, and the errors do not impede communication at all.

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