Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-03

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 or Madam

I am writing this letter to show my serious dissatisfaction regarding the new printer I recently bought online from your company. Before buying it I have heard a lot about this also i have seen lots of positive reviews about it .But when i got the product successfully , it stoped printing.

Whenever i try to print something the ink keeps on leaking that really frustrating for me. I am into advertising company everyday I have to print banners posters for marketing purposes . However since when I got this equipment I am not able to successfully finish my task on time and lately it is effecting my performance and reputation . I am actually a well reputed hard working employee.

I would really appreciate if could send someone to take and look into it , or try to replace or refund as its still new but not working since day one .

Yours sincerely

Simon

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: describing the problem, explaining the impact on your work, and stating your desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the printer is leaking ink and affecting your reputation, these points could be expanded with more specific detail to fully satisfy the requirements of a higher band. The structure is clear, and the purpose of the letter is immediately evident to the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'Whenever', but the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. There is a lack of variety in linking words, and some transitions feel abrupt, such as the jump between describing the printer and explaining your job role. Paragraphing is present, but the overall progression of ideas could be smoother with more sophisticated cohesive devices to connect your points more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly, such as 'dissatisfaction', 'reputation', and 'marketing purposes'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I am into advertising company' (should be 'I work for an advertising company') and 'take and look into it' (should be 'take a look at it'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Spelling is mostly accurate, though 'stoped' should be 'stopped'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include missing articles ('in advertising company'), incorrect verb tenses ('since when I got this equipment'), and punctuation issues, such as missing commas and spaces after periods. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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