Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-06

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 hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to formally complain you about the laptop that I bought from your shop last month. As you know, I am a remote worker and this computer plays a significant role in my job.

The computer is significantly slow at running reports which I often run multiple times a day. In fact, I informed you quite clearly that I need something that can process at a faster rate without lagging down. Moreover, the battery is also not satisfying. It doesn't even meet the company said battery life.

Generously, I am struggling a lot due to these problems and I am being constantly complained for not completing my work properly. Moreover, because of the peak time of our business, I am supposed to do much more than I usually do.

Therefore, I urge you to please look into the problem and suggest me a valid solution. In case you need the computer to make changes in hardware or software, please provide me an alternative so that I can keep working.

Yours Sincerely.

Gurpreet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the problem is described, the impact on work is explained, and a clear request for action is made. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently developed to meet the requirements of the task. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the reader is left in no doubt about the nature of the issue or the desired outcome. The response is well-structured and maintains a consistent focus on the task requirements throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph has a central focus, moving from the problem to its impact and finally to the requested solution. Cohesive devices such as 'In fact', 'Moreover', and 'Therefore' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the letter. The flow of information is smooth, and the reader can easily follow the writer's argument from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. The writer uses some relevant business-related terms like 'remote worker', 'hardware', and 'software'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'complain you about' (should be 'complain to you about'), 'not satisfying' (should be 'unsatisfactory'), and 'constantly complained for' (should be 'receiving complaints about'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word choice and prepositional usage to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response shows a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'the battery is also not satisfying' and 'the company said battery life' (should be 'the company-stated battery life'). Additionally, 'suggest me a valid solution' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'suggest a valid solution to me'. While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. The use of punctuation is generally correct, and the tone remains formal throughout.

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

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