Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-01

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 you are doing well. Recently, I purchase new laptop from your shop. I am greatful to get delivery of the equipment on time. Moreover, I am doing my office work at home. Therefore, it is most important part of my work, but some of the keys are not working properly.

In addition, when I try to something copy paste for my work it require to click four or five time which make my work hard and also it is time consuming. Furthermore, before I complete my work around in 4 hours but now it take 6 hours. Hence, I got negative compliment from my boss. So, I request you to please replace this laptop or refund me the amount of my purchase. I hope you understand the situation.

Thank you for your time and support.

Warm regards,

Zainab Patel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the problem is described, the impact on work is explained, and a resolution is requested. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat brief. To improve, you should expand on the details of the equipment's failure and provide a more formal closing statement to ensure the word count requirement is met and the tone remains professional throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, and the progression of ideas is clear. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore' to link your sentences. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, but ensure that each paragraph contains enough supporting detail to fully develop the central idea. Improving the variety of linking words will help achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'make my work hard' and 'negative compliment' are slightly unnatural; 'negative feedback' or 'criticism' would be more appropriate. You demonstrate a limited range of vocabulary, and there are some errors in word choice, such as 'I purchase' instead of 'I purchased'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to office equipment and professional communication to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb tense ('I purchase' instead of 'I purchased'), article usage ('the equipment' is correct, but 'the amount' is slightly awkward), and sentence structure ('it require to click' instead of 'it requires me to click'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are noticeable and occur in simple sentence structures. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage. Incorporating a few more complex sentence structures would also help demonstrate a better range of grammatical control.

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

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