Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-18

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,

I am writing a letter to complain about a problem with a piece of equipment that I purchased from your company recently. As I work from home, I rely heavily on this equipment to carry out my daily tasks of efficiently.

The equipment, a laptop has a developed a serious problem with its battery. Although it was fully charged, it now lasts for only about 30 minutes before shutting down unexpectedly. In addition, it become usually hot while I am using it, which makes me concerned about its safety. I have tried restarting the laptop and changing the chargers, but the problem has continued.

This issue is having a significant impact on my work. I regularly attend online meetings and complete tasks using several programmes. However, the laptop frequently switches off, causing me to miss important meetings and unsaved work. Consequently, my work are very disturb and sometimes I am worried for my work tasks and crucial meetings.

I would therefore appreciate it if you could arrange a repair or replace a faulty equipment with a new one. I would also be grateful if this matter could be dealt with as soon as possible, as I need the laptop for my job.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly describe the battery and overheating issues, explain the negative impact on your work meetings and productivity, and state your desired outcome (repair or replacement). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, ensure that all minor grammatical errors do not distract from the clarity of your points, as the task requirements were fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'Consequently' to link your sentences and paragraphs effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The flow is generally smooth, although some minor errors in sentence structure occasionally make the transition between ideas feel slightly less natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. Phrases like 'rely heavily', 'shutting down unexpectedly', and 'significant impact' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context. There are some minor word-choice errors, such as 'my work are very disturb' (should be 'my work is very disturbed' or 'disrupted') and 'replace a faulty equipment' (should be 'replace the faulty equipment'). While these do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precision in collocation and article usage to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical slips that occur throughout the text, such as 'a laptop has a developed' (extra article), 'it become usually hot' (incorrect adverb placement and tense), and 'my work are very disturb' (subject-verb agreement and word form). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and verb tenses.

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

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