Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Madam/Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to report defective items which are i purchesd rom your shop/company. I recently purchased two pieces of equipment from your company. however i deeply dissatisfied, as the quality of that equipment is very substandard. The price of the equipment is below what is set on your website.

Additionally, those equiment are severly impacted on my work. I cannot use the printer or the document, and the ink inside the printer is of very poor quality. Another issue with the keyboard: the buttons are so hard to press, and something is wrong with the settings; it cannot type some of the words properly. It is a very obvious situation.

I am writing to suggest you replace this equipment as soon as possible. I have all the recepit regrading this two pieces of equipment. I have already attached with those two pieces of equipment.

I wish you would resolve this matter as soon as possible.

Best regrads,

x.y.z

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: describing the equipment problems, explaining the impact on your work, and stating your desired resolution. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention the printer and keyboard issues, the explanation of how this affects your work is vague ('severely impacted on my work'). To improve, you should provide more specific details about how these malfunctions hinder your professional tasks. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the clarity of the request could be improved by being more direct about the desired outcome, such as requesting a refund or a specific replacement model.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure, moving from the introduction to the problem description and finally the request for action. Paragraphing is present, though the indentation and spacing are inconsistent. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'Another issue', which help guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and grammatical errors, such as 'I have all the recepit regrading this two pieces of equipment. I have already attached with those two pieces of equipment.' These sentences feel disjointed and repetitive. Improving the use of transition words and ensuring clear referencing would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but there are frequent spelling errors ('purchesd', 'recepit', 'regrading', 'regrads') and some awkward word choices. For example, 'defective items which are i purchesd rom your shop' contains multiple errors that distract the reader. You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle with collocations, such as 'quality of that equipment is very substandard'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on accurate spelling and using more precise terminology related to office equipment and customer service complaints. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and formal verbs will also help convey your message more professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement ('those equiment are severly impacted') and article usage. Punctuation is also problematic, particularly with the misuse of capitalization and missing commas. For example, 'however i deeply dissatisfied' lacks a verb and proper capitalization. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors require the reader to work harder to understand your intent. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and proofread carefully to correct common grammatical slips.

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

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