Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-22

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/Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you that my washing machine which i purchased a week ago is not functioning.

To begin with, i called my electrician to install the new machine, while installing we heard an unusual sound of cracking. Minutes later a burnt smell was coming out of it. I guess the equipment went wrong while shipping.

I recently moved to my new appartment and i ordered the machine because I don't have any laundry services nearby. It's been a week now and I am wearing unwashed clothes. I can not go out because my clothes have a unpleasant odor.

I kindly request, to expedite the process of exchange and offer a compensation for my inconvenience. Send an electrician and have him installed the new machine appropriately.

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

Yours sincerely

Nishant Sharma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You successfully covered all parts of the task prompt, including describing the problem, explaining its impact on your work, and stating your desired outcome. Specifically, you noted the unusual cracking sound and burnt smell from the washing machine, explained that you work from home and cannot do laundry since you recently moved, and requested an exchange, compensation, and installation. However, the official length check established that your response contains 149 words, which fails to meet the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length issue prevents the task from being fully developed, which impacts the overall Task Achievement score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

Your letter is structured with appropriate paragraphing and follows a logical progression. You open with a standard salutation, move from describing the equipment issue to its personal and professional impact, state your demands, and close with a professional sign-off. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'To begin with' and 'It's been a week now'. However, referencing and transitions are at times a bit mechanical, and some sentences could be linked more fluidly. Paragraphing is clear, ensuring the reader can easily follow the narrative arc of the complaint letter, though the brevity of the text limits further complex organizational features.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, successfully communicating everyday concepts relevant to a faulty appliance complaint. Phrases like 'expedite the process', 'unusual sound', and 'burnt smell' effectively convey your message. However, there are noticeable lexical and word choice inaccuracies, such as lowercase 'i' instead of 'I', 'installed the new machine appropriately' instead of 'have him install', and 'appartment' with a double 'p'. These errors demonstrate a limited control over less common vocabulary and spelling conventions, keeping the lexical score at a band 6 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this letter to inform you that my washing machine which i purchased a week ago is not functioning.' Control over grammar and punctuation is generally adequate; however, there are several errors, including capitalization mistakes ('i' instead of 'I'), a missing comma after 'I kindly request', and a grammatical error in 'have him installed the new machine appropriately' where the base verb should be used instead of the past participle. These minor errors rarely impede communication, but they prevent the writing from achieving a higher band score.

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

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