Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-17

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, am writing to inform you about the problem am facing with the tool that was supplied to me by your firm , actually i ordered for a medium sized bucket but was i got was totally difference from what was ordered , i received a small one instead of the medium size .

This is actually not serving me well at home as the small size is not helping me fetch enough quantity water that was needed at home and also it takes a lot of time to fill the basin with the help of the small one as i was fetching the water from a distance and that was the main reason why i needed the medium sized one to make my job easier and faster .

I want the company to change the bucket for me and supply me with what i actually ordered and i really hope it will be done immediately so as to continue with my work at home .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the problem (wrong size bucket), explaining the impact (inefficiency in fetching water), and stating the desired outcome (replacement). However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the explanation of the problem. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the lack of a formal closing (e.g., 'Yours faithfully') is a minor omission. The response is clear and the purpose of the letter is immediately apparent to the reader, fulfilling the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into three distinct paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the complaint. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and somewhat repetitive. For instance, the frequent use of 'and' to connect long, run-on sentences makes the flow feel mechanical rather than fluid. There is a lack of varied linking words or transition phrases to connect ideas more sophisticatedly. While the overall arrangement is logical and the message is easy to follow, the cohesion lacks the flexibility and variety required for a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'not serving me well' and 'make my job easier' are functional but lack precision. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'what was ordered' vs 'what I got', and the phrasing 'fetch enough quantity water' is slightly unnatural. To improve, you should aim for more precise collocations and a wider range of vocabulary related to customer service and product complaints. The current range is sufficient to communicate the message clearly, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding sentence structure, punctuation, and capitalization. Many sentences are run-on, such as the opening sentence which lacks proper punctuation and uses 'am' instead of 'I am'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles (e.g., 'the' before 'medium sized one'). While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents a higher score. You should focus on using full stops to separate independent clauses and ensuring that personal pronouns are capitalized correctly.

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

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