Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear sir,

I hope you are well. I am writing this letter in regards to the heating equipment that was supplied from your shop on 4 August 2026.

I have to deal with certain experiments which needs heat so I ordered this heating equipment from your shop online on 1 August 2026. The order id is 12345abc, under the name of xyz. It worked perfectly on couple of day but then it started having issue with the heating, it doesn't heat like before, as I have to deal with experiments I need high heat for the chemical reaction to occur and I have a deadline coming soon to submit this project.

I hope you find the solution to this problem soon enough because I can't work without this device. Please tell me if there are any procedures or document to sign on I would meet the requirements as early as possible and feel free to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Xyz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the problem is described, the impact on work is explained, and a request for action is made. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the description of the problem ('it doesn't heat like before') lacks technical detail, and the request for action is vague ('find the solution'). To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details about the malfunction and be clearer about the desired outcome, such as requesting a repair, replacement, or refund. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though it could be more professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into three paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited. There is a reliance on simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'but', and the transition between the problem description and the impact on your work is slightly abrupt. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'as a result') to create a smoother flow between sentences and paragraphs. The paragraphing is functional but could be more effectively used to separate the distinct parts of the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on general terms like 'heating equipment' and 'issue'. While these are understandable, they do not demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary. There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'on couple of day' instead of 'for a couple of days'. To improve, try to incorporate more specific terminology related to the equipment or the nature of the fault, and ensure that your word choices are more natural and precise in a professional context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. You have several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('experiments which needs heat' should be 'need') and article usage ('on 4 August' is correct, but 'on couple of day' is incorrect). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as comma splices where two independent clauses are joined by a comma instead of a period or semicolon. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to limit your score. Focus on proofreading for basic agreement and sentence boundaries.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.