Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-05

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,

I am writing about a problem with an item i purchased from your company website on 5th October, 2026. I ordered a dell foldable laptop 128G and I got the wrong Gig which is not foldable. I think your company should compensate for the dell product as well as my disappointment.

Last Tuesday being 5th October,2026, i made an order for a dell foldable laptop with 128G, to my utmost dismay, i got instead a dell non-foldable laptop with 64G which could not fit into my desired data storage base.

From the the foregoing, due to the lesser storage capacity I can no longer store my documents or run my activities in full capacity because of the limited storage which is causing serious hardship for me.

Therefore, I will advise to you to take steps and see that i got my desired laptop back and accord me a massive discount to make it up to me for the loss i incurred.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Yours faithfully,

M.M. Unegbu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three key bullet points of the prompt: it describes the problem regarding the incorrect laptop model and storage capacity, explains how this affects the writer's work by limiting file storage and daily activities, and clearly states what action is required from the company, including a replacement and a discount. The position is clear throughout. However, some ideas show a tendency toward repetition and slightly uneven development, particularly in the overlap between the second and third paragraphs where the same purchase details and storage complaints are reiterated. To reach a higher band, the response would benefit from fully extended, distinct points without redundancy and a slightly more polished tone appropriate for a formal business complaint.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement and the writer attempts to structure the letter logically into distinct paragraphs addressing the prompt's requirements. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing lacks clarity in places. For instance, transitional phrases like 'From the the foregoing' feel forced and slightly archaic, while paragraphing and transitions could flow more naturally. Pronoun referencing and signposting devices are sometimes repetitive or imprecise, which prevents a smoother progression of ideas. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of natural cohesive devices and ensure that each paragraph transitions seamlessly into the next without abrupt shifts or repetitive phrasing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the nature of the issue and the desired resolution. The writer makes several attempts to use less common and business-appropriate vocabulary, such as 'compensate', 'utmost dismay', and 'storage capacity'. However, there are notable word choice inaccuracies and spelling or capitalization slips, such as using 'i' instead of 'I', referring to 'Gig' instead of gigabytes, and awkward phrasing like 'accord me a massive discount'. These lexical errors and informal stylistic choices do not impede communication, but they reflect the characteristics of this band level. To achieve a higher score, the writer should incorporate more precise, natural collocations and maintain consistent formal register and accurate word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'which is not foldable' and 'which could not fit into my desired data storage base'. There are some grammatical errors in articles, prepositions, and punctuation, such as 'From the the foregoing' and repetitive comma usage. However, these errors are relatively minor and rarely impede overall comprehension. To move up to a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater frequency of error-free sentences, alongside tighter control over capitalization, articles, and punctuation patterns.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.