Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-25

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/Madam,

I am writing to express dissatisfaction regarding the laptop which I bought 2 months ago from your company.

I purchased this laptop for my work. It just worked well for only one month. I had a important project to do for my meeting that time it was start freezing and then work slowly and suddenly screen turns black and I did many things for turn it on but nothing worked.

Moreover, this can lead to several impacted on my work as this meeting was very important for me. Due to this problem I lost my promotion which can I earn throughout my working experience. Furthermore, by this my boss angry on me, they cut some percentage of my salary.

I would really thankful you if you could replace my device or it is more better if you refund my all amount that I paid for it.

I look forward to receiving your response.

Navjot

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: describing the problem, explaining the impact on work, and stating the desired resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the technical issue is quite basic, and the explanation of the impact on work, while clear, relies on somewhat repetitive phrasing. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details about the laptop model or the nature of the project to make the complaint more convincing and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Due to this', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. Paragraphing is present, but the structure could be improved by grouping the problem description and its impact more tightly. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression of the argument could be smoother with more varied linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic terms like 'worked well', 'did many things', and 'angry'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'impacted on my work' (should be 'impact on my work') and 'more better' (which is grammatically incorrect and redundant). To improve, try to incorporate more specific business-related vocabulary, such as 'malfunctioning', 'technical failure', or 'professional repercussions', which would better suit the formal context of a complaint letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You make several grammatical errors, such as 'a important project' (should be 'an'), 'it was start freezing' (should be 'it started freezing'), and 'my boss angry on me' (missing verb 'was'). Additionally, the phrase 'which can I earn' is syntactically incorrect. While the meaning remains clear, these frequent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct verb tense usage.

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

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