Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear manager,

I recently purchased an LG washing machine from your company, located in Wuse 2 Abuja. but i noticed not long ago that the machine is not performing optimally. It shuts down automatically just after 15minute of usage, which is quite unusual. this development has affected my laundry business negatively, because I have been struggling to meet demands from customer and it have been very challenging, I now wash people's cloths manually, which is time consuming and energy demanding. I am requesting for either a refund or a replacement.

To start with, I own a laundry shop 2km from your company, the technical challenges began after two weeks of using the product, according to your customer care representative who told me that issue will stop after days of usage but unfortunately, it has worsened and is a serious concern to my business because I can no longer met the timeline schedule from my customers.

Moreso, I am writing for your company to please either send me another machine or give me back my money to help me buy another one.

I look forward to hearing from you within the shortest possible time.

yours Faithfully

Agubo Stanley

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: describing the equipment problem, explaining the impact on your work, and stating your desired resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is slightly repetitive; for instance, you mention the impact on your laundry business in both the first and second paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph introduces distinct information rather than restating previous points. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To start with' and 'Moreso' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly disjointed; the second paragraph repeats information already provided in the first, which disrupts the flow. Additionally, the transition between the opening and the body could be smoother. While the overall progression is clear, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical, and the structure would benefit from more careful planning to avoid redundancy.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'performing optimally', 'technical challenges', and 'timeline schedule'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as '15minute of usage' (should be '15 minutes') and 'met the timeline schedule' (should be 'meet the deadlines'). While you successfully communicate your message, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to business and equipment failure.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'it have been very challenging' (subject-verb agreement), '15minute' (pluralization), and inconsistent capitalization (e.g., 'but i noticed', 'this development'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices and the lack of capitalization at the start of sentences. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and punctuation will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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