Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-20

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 am writing about the problem of computer equipment to shop. I bought computer from the local shop because actually i am work at bank as a accountant so i have a lot of need to computer. When i bought it, it worked very well, unfortunately now its screen is not working which put negative impact on my work. As i can not scroll the screen easily as a consequence my all work would delay due to hanging screen. When i shared my problem to my friend, he recommend to deepik shop which is very popular in city for electronic gadgets and it is more cheapest from other shops. So, now i want to repair my computer quickly, so i can complete my work timely.

I hope you repair my computer as soon as and give further information how much money about repairation so i arrange the money.

yours faithfully,

Gagan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You successfully describe the problem by stating that the computer screen is not working and hanging. You explain how it affects your work by mentioning that you cannot scroll easily and your work at the bank as an accountant is delayed. Finally, you state what you want the company to do by asking them to repair the computer quickly and provide information about the repair costs. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, although some parts are slightly confused, such as mentioning that a friend recommended the shop, which contradicts the context of writing to the supplier who sold you the equipment. Overall, the task is adequately addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement, and the progression of ideas is generally understandable. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, transitional phrases are lacking, and the paragraphing is poor, as the entire body of the letter is compressed into one long paragraph rather than being broken down into logical sections. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the sudden mention of a friend recommending a specific shop, which disrupts the flow of communication between the customer and the supplier.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but it is limited and basic. You use some relevant terms related to the situation, such as 'computer equipment', 'electronic gadgets', and 'accountant'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'more cheapest' instead of 'cheaper', 'repairation' instead of 'repairs', and 'complete my work timely' instead of 'complete my work on time'. These lexical inaccuracies do not totally impede communication, but they restrict the band score to a solid 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence forms. There are frequent grammatical errors in punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure, such as starting sentences with lowercase 'i', missing articles ('bought computer', 'work at bank as a accountant'), and run-on sentences like 'So, now i want to repair my computer quickly, so i can complete my work timely.' Despite these errors, the meaning is generally clear, and communication is rarely completely impeded, fitting the Band 5.5 profile.

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

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