Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-10

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/ madam,

My company ordered some equipments from your store for my work from home job. But, there’s some issues with it.

Firstly, the headsets aren’t of good quality, I face it difficult to listen properly while talking to the clients. Thus, it interrupts the flow of our talk. I think one side of the headset is not working or it was a defective set. Secondly, the keyboard, which is not suitable for my job. It has really broad keys and it makes louder sound than usual. I like to work with a handy keyboard and the keys should be silent while typing. I know there are a lot different types of keyboard varieties.

I would be happy if you can send someone to my house and replace the things. As it’s very difficult for me to do my job effectively and smoothly. Hope you would consider it as urgent and solve my problem as soon as possible.

Your sincerely,

Gurleen

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all three bullet points of the task: describing the equipment problems, explaining the impact on work, and requesting a resolution. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the request for a replacement is brief, and the description of the keyboard issues could be more precise to ensure the reader fully understands the nature of the defect. While the task requirements are met, the response would benefit from more detailed explanations to fully satisfy the 'well-developed' criteria of higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Thus' helps guide the reader through the argument. However, the transition between the problem description and the request for action is slightly abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is a bit mechanical. To improve, you could use a wider variety of linking phrases to connect your sentences more fluidly, ensuring that the progression of ideas feels more natural rather than strictly following a list-like structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication of the issues. You use some relevant terms like 'defective', 'effectively', and 'smoothly'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'some equipments' (equipment is an uncountable noun) and 'face it difficult' (the correct collocation is 'find it difficult'). The range is sufficient for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on correct pluralization and more sophisticated collocations would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'there’s some issues' (subject-verb agreement error, as 'issues' is plural) and 'It has really broad keys and it makes louder sound' (missing article 'a'). Punctuation is generally functional, though the opening 'Dear sir/ madam' should be capitalized. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.

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

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