Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-21
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 or madam,
My name is tim and I ordered a speaker for my TV. The order number is [redacted phone]. I am writing this letter to let you know that speaker that I had ordered is restarting very often .I also noticed the speaker had a connection issue with the phone. I purchased the speaker for watching movies with my family and sometimes to listen to music on my phone. I purchased the speaker for watching movie but the restarting issue is affecting whenever I satrted to watch a movie.The another issue that bothers me as mentioned before the bluetooth in the speaker is not getting connected to my phone. So I want you to replace the speaker that I brought within 2 days with a new ones or I am expecting a full money refund.I am looking forward to your response.
Thank you
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The candidate covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You successfully describe the equipment problem by stating that the speaker is restarting frequently and has Bluetooth connection issues with your phone. You also explain how this affects your work and personal use, mentioning that you purchased it for movies and music but the restarting disrupts your viewing. Furthermore, you state what you want the company to do by demanding a replacement within two days or a full refund. However, there is a penalty for length because the response contains 145 words, which falls short of the mandatory 150-word minimum specified in the task instructions. Despite this under-length penalty, all communicative requirements of the prompt are successfully addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression from introducing the purchase to describing the faults, explaining the impact, and finally stating the desired resolution. However, paragraphing is not used effectively. The entire body of the letter is written as a single dense block of text rather than being broken down into appropriate paragraphs for introduction, details, impact, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple conjunctions like 'and' and 'so'. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of paragraph breaks significantly detracts from the visual structure and flow expected of a formal or semi-formal letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical resource is adequate for the task, though it remains quite basic throughout. You use appropriate functional vocabulary related to buying and products, such as 'order number', 'speaker', 'connection issue', 'bluetooth', and 'full money refund'. However, there are noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'satrted' instead of 'started', and awkward phrasing like 'the another issue that bothers me as mentioned before'. There is also unnecessary repetition of phrases like 'I purchased the speaker for watching movie'. While the vocabulary successfully conveys your message, the lack of flexibility and precision keeps the lexical score within the mid-range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this letter to let you know that speaker that I had ordered is restarting very often'. Grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several punctuation and capitalization errors, including lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences ('tim', 'speaker that I had ordered'), missing articles ('let you know that speaker', 'with a new ones'), and spelling errors ('brought' instead of 'bought'). Although these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall control of grammar and punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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