Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-05

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)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction regarding my new laptop, which i purchased a month ago from your store.

This is a Dell's laptop with latest process I7. It is getting hang out whenever I try to open more than one projects on a same time. My laptop screen's gets turn into black window, which resitict me for further usage. It takes around an hours to restart it agian.

This problem is affecting my work because I do not able to finish my tasks on time because it is not working properly. It is also affectting my overall performance and image in front of my boss.

I would be grateful, if you could look after this matter at yours earliest convenience. I would like to replace this laptop because it is under warranty, and I would like take replaced item with extra RAM capacity, so I will not face any performace issue in the near future.

Thank you for your time and procceding my resuest at your ealier convenience.

Yours faithfully,

Tan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly described the technical issues with the laptop, explained the negative impact on your work performance, and stated your desired resolution (a replacement with upgraded specifications). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are slightly more developed; for instance, you could briefly mention the specific nature of the work you are unable to complete to add more weight to your complaint. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'because', 'also', and 'therefore' (implied) to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect sentences more fluidly. For example, instead of starting sentences with 'This problem', you could use 'Consequently' or 'As a result' to better demonstrate the relationship between the technical failure and your work situation.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, such as 'dissatisfaction', 'performance', and 'warranty'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'getting hang out', 'resitict me', and 'procceding my resuest'. These errors occasionally distract the reader, though they do not prevent the message from being understood. To improve, focus on learning common collocations related to technology and business correspondence. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise verbs and adjectives would help you move into the higher band range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('This is a Dell's laptop', 'It is also affectting'), article misuse, and spelling mistakes ('resitict', 'procceding', 'ealier'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency of the letter. To improve, pay closer attention to basic verb forms and proofread your work specifically for spelling and article usage before finalizing your response.

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

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