Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-02

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 6.5)

Hello Mr. Garrat,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you about the laptop malfunction that I have recently purchased from your shop; which is having battery issues as it only works when plugged in. It started a day before yesterday, I was working and suddenly laptop has its powered down and all my ongoing unsaved data got erased.

I am working from home and my work requirement pushed me to buy a monitor screen but for the ease of location, I bought the laptop so that I can sit wherever I find peace and can work effectively. However, this laptop only works when plugged in making me sit near the plug socket, which is really uncomfortable.

I would really appreciate if you can just replace it with the new one as it has a warranty going on as fast as you can.

Regards,

Ishika

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: the problem is described, the impact on work is explained, and a resolution is requested. However, the tone is inconsistent. The prompt asks to begin with 'Dear Sir or Madam,' but the student uses 'Hello Mr. Garrat,' which is a significant deviation from the instructions. Additionally, the description of the problem is slightly confusing due to grammatical errors, such as 'laptop malfunction that I have recently purchased,' which implies the malfunction was purchased rather than the laptop. While the purpose is clear, the development of ideas is somewhat limited, and the tone is more casual than is typically expected in a formal complaint letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is organized into three distinct paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure of the complaint. There is a logical progression from the problem to the impact and finally the request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. For instance, the transition 'However' is used correctly, but other sentences feel slightly disjointed. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the first and second paragraphs could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate for a letter of this type, and the message remains easy to follow despite some minor lapses in cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate the core issues effectively. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'malfunction' and 'effectively,' which are appropriate. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'warranty going on' instead of 'under warranty' and 'powered down' used incorrectly as a verb phrase. The range is sufficient for the task, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. The errors do not impede communication, but they do highlight a need for more natural phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'laptop has its powered down' (incorrect verb tense and structure) and 'replace it with the new one' (unnecessary article). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly the misuse of the semicolon in the first paragraph. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. The student demonstrates an attempt at complex sentences, but these are often where the most significant grammatical slips occur.

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