Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-27

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 5.0)

Dear sir madam,

I would like to inform you an ongoing issue am having with my iPad from yesterday. Whenever I tried to log in it shows an error of sever failed because of that am not able to log in to my iPad. All my office work is pending and am not able to open my important documents which I saved to my iPad. I would like ti request you to make me an in person appointment with one of your technicians who can help me out for this issue.

I hope you get back to me soon.

Thanks,

Your kindly

Rupneet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: describing the problem, explaining the impact on work, and requesting a solution. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely limits the development of ideas. The explanation of the problem and the impact on work are quite brief and lack the necessary detail expected in a formal letter. To improve, you must expand on your points by providing more context, such as the specific nature of your work or the urgency of the situation, to ensure you meet the length requirement and demonstrate a fuller development of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a basic logical progression, moving from the issue to the impact and finally the request. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is presented as a single block of text. Using clear paragraph breaks between the introduction, the body points, and the closing would significantly improve the structure. Additionally, the use of cohesive devices is very limited, relying on simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'because'. Incorporating a wider range of linking words such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'therefore' would help create a smoother flow between your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is functional but basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'help me out' and 'ongoing issue' are acceptable but lack the formal tone required for a business letter. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'sever failed' (likely meaning 'server failure') and 'Your kindly' (an incorrect closing). To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more precise, professional vocabulary related to technical support and business communication. Expanding your range of synonyms and ensuring correct collocations will help you convey your message with greater clarity and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that hinder the flow of the text. Examples include 'inform you an ongoing issue' (missing 'of'), 'am having' (missing the subject 'I'), and 'ti request' (spelling error). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. The punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly in the salutation and closing. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, ensure that all sentences have a clear subject, and practice using a variety of complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, while maintaining accuracy.

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

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