Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-09

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this to express my disappointment regarding a mixer grinder, Model 16 bullet, which I bought from your shop last week on Friday.

I started using the grinder following the user manual on Monday. Initially, it worked well for grinding the spices and other kitchen items. However, after a few minutes of using it, it suddenly stopped working right after making a crackling sound. I immediately unplugged the equipment and tried to contact customer care, who told me to reach out to you.

I run a cloud kitchen from my house. I bought this machine using my hard-earned money to ease my workload. But due to the malfunction of the grinder, it is affecting my work, as I am not able to deliver my orders on time.

I would like to request either an exchange of the equipment or a full refund, as the grinder is still under the manufacturer's guarantee and warranty.

I would really appreciate that.

Your sincerely,

Darren keams

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly described the problem with the mixer grinder, explained the negative impact on your cloud kitchen business, and stated a clear request for a refund or replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task, providing enough detail to make the situation clear to the reader. You have followed the required format and maintained a consistent purpose throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph serving a distinct purpose. You use clear paragraphing to separate the introduction, the problem description, the impact, and the final request. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'But', and 'as' are used effectively to link ideas. The progression of information is smooth, moving from the purchase details to the specific issue and finally to the desired resolution. The flow is natural and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'express my disappointment', 'malfunction', and 'manufacturer's guarantee' are well-chosen and appropriate for a formal complaint. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it lacks a wider variety of more sophisticated or precise collocations that would push the score into the higher bands. However, there are no significant errors in word choice, and your meaning is conveyed clearly and effectively throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For example, 'I am writing this to express my disappointment...' and 'I would like to request either an exchange... or a full refund' are grammatically sound. There are very few errors; however, there is a minor error in the closing: 'Your sincerely' should be 'Yours sincerely'. Despite this, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and sentence construction is strong enough to ensure clear communication.

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

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