Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

To: R AND Sons company

address: 785, 4th avenue SW

PO: T2RN65

Dear Supplier,

Two days ago, i ordered the sitting chair for my work but unfortunately i am unable to sit on my chair. Beacuse there is missing two screw parts which feel uncomfortable to sit and do my work. In addition to this, i also ordered the stand to put my keyboard which is missing in the box.

Furthermore, i have heared the great reviews about your firm about supplying the best materials and service, but i did'nt get that service.

So i want the full refund for that order or else provide the exchange and give all the parts which is required. Nevertheless, I want not only the screw parts but also the missing stand to keep keyboard for my work.

So please solve this issue immediately and try to get equipment in 2 days which will be very helpful.

Thanks

Kind regards

Ronak Suradkar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all the required bullet points from the prompt. You described the problems clearly by mentioning that two screw parts are missing from your chair and the keyboard stand is missing from the box. You explained how this affects your work by stating that it makes you feel uncomfortable while trying to sit and complete your tasks at home. Furthermore, you clearly stated what you want the company to do, requesting a full refund or an immediate exchange with all required parts included. The tone is appropriately formal for a complaint letter, and all aspects of the task are well addressed. Therefore, this meets the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 in task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a generally coherent overall arrangement, although the opening includes unnecessary address details that were not requested. Ideas are linked together using cohesive devices such as 'In addition to this', 'Furthermore', and 'Nevertheless'. However, some of the linking words and paragraph transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, particularly the multiple uses of 'So'. Paragraphing could also be structured more neatly, as the middle section bunches several distinct thoughts together. Referencing is mostly clear, allowing the reader to follow your complaints and demands easily. Overall, this demonstrates a Band 6 level of coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary range is adequate for completing the task, but contains some noticeable errors and unnatural phrasing. For instance, writing 'ordered the sitting chair' is unnatural compared to 'ergonomic chair' or 'office chair'. You also made errors with word forms, such as 'heared' instead of 'heard' and 'did'nt' instead of 'didn't'. While you attempted some less common vocabulary ('ergonomic', 'substitute', 'immediately'), inaccuracies in word choice and spelling prevent you from reaching a higher band. However, communication is never impeded, which comfortably places your lexical resource at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempted a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and subordinate clauses ('which feel uncomfortable', 'which will be very helpful'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter. Examples include lower-case 'i', missing articles ('Beacuse there is missing two screw parts' should be 'Because there are two missing screws'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('the parts which is required' should be 'are required'). Punctuation and apostrophe errors are also present ('did'nt'). Despite these issues, the meaning remains clear and understandable. This performance corresponds to a Band 5.0.

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

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