Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-05

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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to inform you about my dissatisfaction with a piece of equipment that I recently purchased from your store, as it has some serious technical issue which is currently preventing me tp carry out my daily work duties.

Three weeks ago, I bought an Acme Pro Laser printer from the downtown branch. While it initially operated smoothly, the machine has developed a major fault over the last four days. Every time I attempt to print the documents, the paper jams in between and ink was also overflowing. The control panel displays "Error 50" message on it.

This problem severely impacted my ability to work from home. Asa remote legal consultant, my job requires me to print, review and sign physical copies of confidential contracts on a daily basis. For now as the printer is not functioning well I am falling behind on my deadlines, which is causing significant stress to me and my corporate clients.

The printer is still well within its one year warranty period, I request you that could you arrange a technician to look at it, or send a replacement unit to my home address as soon as possible. Alternatively, if replacement is not available, I would please you to refund the full money so that I can purchase an alternative model.

I look forward tour prompt response regarding this urgent matter.

Yous Faithfully,

Surpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly described the technical issues with the printer, explained the negative impact on your work as a legal consultant, and provided a clear set of demands for a resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, providing enough detail to make the situation clear to the reader. To reach a higher band, ensure that all parts of the prompt are addressed with equal depth; your explanation of the impact on your work is particularly strong and well-supported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'While it initially operated smoothly' and 'Alternatively', to link your ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the message.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a formal complaint, such as 'dissatisfaction', 'confidential contracts', and 'prompt response'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'preventing me tp carry out' (a typo) and 'I would please you to refund' (which is not a standard idiomatic expression). Despite these minor slips, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and effectively. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and checking for small spelling errors that can detract from the professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'ink was also overflowing' (tense inconsistency), 'Asa remote' (spacing error), and 'I request you that could you arrange' (awkward phrasing). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and refining your complex sentence structures to ensure they are grammatically accurate and flow naturally.

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

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