Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-27

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 or Madam,

I bought a dental software from your company last week. Before making the purchase I shared all the details of my current laptop with you, so that you can install me a version that is most compatible with my device. Your customer support assured me that this particular version of the software will work best on my laptop. I have been using the software for a week now and there has been a few glitches in the software. Firstly when I open the software it takes alot of time to get to the main menu. Another problem is sometimes while I am working, the software crashes all of a sudden and all my data is gone because it did not let me save. I have also noticed this software has made my laptop slower.

I have recently got this remote job and I am unable to fulfill the goals that I have committed to them. All these problems are effecting my work negatively. If this continues I might lose my job.

I would like to request that you send someone from your tech team to my home so they can fix this issue. As I live a bit far away from your shop and I won't be able to commute for a few days due to personal reasons, but I need this problem sorted as soon as possilbe.

I'm hopeful that you will take prompt action to resolve my problem so that I can work smoothly again.

Regards,

Novaira Waseem

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The student clearly describes the problem by mentioning glitches, slow loading times, and sudden crashes causing data loss. They effectively explain how this is affecting their work, noting that they are unable to meet remote job commitments and fear losing their position. Furthermore, they state what they want the company to do by requesting a technician to visit their home. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the tone is appropriate for a formal complaint. The ideas are relevant and developed well enough to meet the expectations of Band 7, as all parts of the task are fully addressed with a clear position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a standard correspondence format. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate the introduction, the specific problems, the personal consequences, and the requested action. Cohesive devices are generally used appropriately, such as 'Firstly', 'Another problem', and 'If this continues'. However, the progression between some sentences could be smoother, and referencing is occasionally slightly repetitive. Overall, the message flows well and is easy to follow, aligning closely with the criteria for Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6, though adequate paragraphing and logical sequencing secure a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a formal complaint letter, such as 'compatible', 'glitches', 'prompt action', and 'resolve'. There are some successful attempts to use less common functional phrases like 'most compatible with my device' and 'take prompt action'. However, there are a few lexical inaccuracies and misspellings, such as 'alot' (instead of 'a lot'), 'effecting' (should be 'affecting'), and 'possilbe' (should be 'possible'). These vocabulary and spelling errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6, where the range is adequate for the task and attempts less common vocabulary with some inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses ('that you use for your job') and conditional sentences ('If this continues I might lose my job'). There are some good grammatical constructions, but several errors are present, including subject-verb agreement issues ('there has been a few glitches' instead of 'there have been') and punctuation or phrasing awkwardness in longer sentences, such as 'As I live a bit far away from your shop and I won't be able to commute... but I need this problem sorted', which creates a fragmented sentence structure. These errors do not impede understanding, placing the response securely in the Band 6 category.

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

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