Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-20

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 or Madam,

My name is Masumi Thakkar and I am writing to complain about the headphones which I bought from your shop last month. The headphones are of Sony brand and I was assured by your customer service representative that I will not experience and issues for the next two years. However, when I started using them initially, they worked fine but now they are causing interference. I feel very disappointed with your service.

I work from home and I use headphone to attend my work meetings on a daily basis. As they have started causing interference it is affecting my work badly. When I am in meeting, sometimes my colleagues cannot hear me due to the noise it is causing and the other times I cannot hear them at all. At first, I thought it could be an issue with my computer or the internet so I asked my technician to check it. According to him, my computer and internet both are working perfectly fine.

Therefore, I request you to either replace the headphones for me or if you cannot do so, I would like a full refund of the price that I paid when I bought this headphones. Also, if you provide me the refund I will return this headphones back to your shop.

I hope you will take a prompt action towards my urgent request.

Yours faithfully,

Masumi Thakkar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses the task requirements by describing the problem with the headphones, explaining the impact on work, and requesting a replacement or refund. However, the response could be improved by offering more details about the incident when the interference began and possibly suggesting a specific resolution time frame. Overall, it meets the task's criteria sufficiently, but more depth could elevate the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The coherence and cohesion of the letter are generally good; ideas flow logically from the introduction to the explanation of the issue and the request. Transitional phrases like "therefore" help in linking ideas. However, the letter could benefit from clearer paragraphing to delineate the different sections, such as separating the description of the problem and the impact on work more distinctly. This will enhance readability and organization.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Lexical resource is adequate, utilizing appropriate vocabulary such as "complain", "interference", and "refund". However, the phrase "causing interference" is slightly vague; using more specific vocabulary would improve clarity. Additionally, rephrasing "sometimes my colleagues cannot hear me" could elevate the language. More varied vocabulary could enhance the overall quality of the letter. Consider using expressions like "audio distortion" instead of "causing interference."

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

Grammatical range and accuracy are mostly consistent, with appropriate sentence structures and a mix of simple and complex sentences. However, there are minor errors, such as "I will not experience and issues" (should be "any issues") and "this headphones" (should be "these headphones"). Such errors do not impede understanding but indicate room for improvement in grammatical precision.

Overall feedback

Your letter successfully addresses the task, clearly outlining the problem with the headphones, its impact on your work, and your desired outcome. The structure is logical, but clearer paragraphing could enhance coherence. Focus on expanding vocabulary and refining grammar for precision; this will make your writing more effective and professional. Be mindful of small grammatical details to improve your band score further. Practicing more complex sentence structures will also help achieve a higher proficiency.

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.