Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-23
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 5.5)
Dear Sir,
I hope this email finds you well. I am a regular full-time employee in ABC company, you do not usually see me in person in office as i work remotely.
Recently, my work phone has been showing some technical problems which is why i am unable to do my job properly. The speed and working apps has been slow down and getting shut down in every few hours, due to these issues, i am not able to see updates and could not able to make email, calls, and also missing meetings.
Lastly, I want you to look into this matter seriously and provide me either a temporary work phone or replace with new work phone, whichever protocol this issue falls under company policy.
I hope to hear back from you soon.
Regards,
Anna
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the problem, explaining the impact on work, and requesting a solution. However, the response is 15 words under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of the technical issues is somewhat repetitive and lacks specific detail, and the request for action is brief. To improve, you should expand on the consequences of the technical failure, perhaps by providing a specific example of a missed deadline or a client interaction that was affected. Meeting the minimum word count is essential to ensure your ideas are fully developed and meet the task requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening, body, and closing. Paragraphing is used, though the paragraphs are quite short due to the limited length of the response. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'due to these issues' and 'lastly', but the transitions between sentences are sometimes mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly. The overall arrangement is coherent, but the brevity of the text prevents a more sophisticated progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'showing some technical problems' and 'do my job properly' are functional but lack precision. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'make email' instead of 'send emails'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more specific terminology related to technical equipment and professional communication. For instance, instead of saying 'apps has been slow down', you could use 'the device is experiencing significant performance issues' or 'the software is frequently crashing'. Expanding your range of collocations will help you express your points more professionally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'in ABC company' (should be 'at'), 'i am unable' (the pronoun 'I' must always be capitalized), 'apps has been slow down' (subject-verb agreement and tense error), and 'could not able to' (incorrect structure). These errors occur throughout the text and occasionally hinder the clarity of the message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb tenses, and consistent capitalization. While the meaning is generally understood, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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