Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-23

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,

This is to inform you about the food processor that was delivered to me on the 29th of May precisely at noon by your delivery guy named Usman is no longer in good condition. I bought this food processor with the aim that it would ease not just the stress of me slicing vegetables but spending longer hours in the kitchen as time is essential.

The engine of the processor made a funny sound while it was in motion cutting carrots and when i checked i saw that it had broken. This has led to me using my hands to cut vegetables and made me spend more time in the kitchen and is not only making cooking process harder, but also robbing me the time to bond with my family.

Please I would like that the company look into fixing it or replacing it as it still under warranty. I would be bringing it to your office myself to prevent the repair time from taking longer than it should.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions effectively. You successfully describe the problem by mentioning that the engine of the food processor made a funny sound and broke while cutting carrots. You explain how the problem affects your work and daily life by stating that you now have to cut vegetables by hand, which takes more time and robs you of time to bond with your family. Finally, you state what you want the company to do by asking them to either fix or replace the unit under warranty. The tone of the letter is appropriate for a formal complaint, and all ideas are relevant and adequately developed to fulfil the task requirements, aligning well with a Band 7 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter exhibits clear logical organisation and progression from stating the purpose of the letter, to describing the malfunction and its consequences, and finally to requesting a resolution. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate these distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'while it was in motion', 'and when i checked', and 'to prevent the repair time' are generally used effectively to connect clauses. However, some sentences are slightly run-on, such as the opening sentence which crams multiple clauses together without sufficient pause or structuring, slightly impacting the fluidity. Overall, the text is coherent and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate and functional range of vocabulary suitable for a formal complaint. Expressions like 'inform you about', 'in good condition', 'ease the stress', and 'under warranty' communicate your meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but word choice occasionally feels a bit conversational or slightly unnatural, such as 'robbing me the time' instead of 'depriving me of time' or 'taking away time'. Spelling and word choice errors are minimal and do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, a wider variety of precise phrasing and idiomatic or uncommon lexical items would be required.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and conditional-like time clauses ('while it was in motion cutting carrots'). There are some grammatical inaccuracies and punctuation slips, notably in the very long first sentence which lacks necessary commas and contains a slight structural awkwardness ('that was delivered to me... is no longer in good condition'). The pronoun 'i' is also uncapitalised in the second paragraph. However, despite these errors, the meaning remains clear and communicative throughout. The majority of your clauses are understandable, placing your grammar performance securely at Band 6.0.

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

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