Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-07

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing to you to inform you about a major defect in the drilling machine that I purchased from your store two days ago.

At the beginning, I tried to make it work, but after several setbacks, I realised that it has a smaller motor. It does not reflect the specifications mentioned in the manuel. I make furniture at my home and due to this issue with the drilling machine, I am unable to complete my orders.

Furthermore, I've already spent a large amount of money in buying the wood. Some of my customers even threatened me to cancel the order if I will not be able to deliver it on time.

Therefore, I am extremely upset at the moment and a lot of my investment is at risk. It is a very expensive equipment so I can not afford to buy another one. I would request you to replace this drilling machine as soon as possible.

I look forward to a prompt response.

Kind r

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly addresses all three requirements: you identify the drilling machine’s motor as the problem, explain that you cannot complete furniture orders and that customers may cancel, and request a replacement. The impact is made convincing by mentioning the money already spent on wood and the risk to your investment. Your purpose and position remain clear throughout. To make the response even more fully developed, specify how the motor falls short of the manual’s stated specifications—for example, whether it lacks power for the materials you use—and give a practical timeframe or next step for the replacement. This would make the requested action more precise while retaining the clear, relevant coverage already present.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear, sensible progression: you introduce the defect, describe its effect on your work and finances, and then state the remedy you want. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, while phrases such as “Furthermore” and “Therefore” signal the relationship between points. The letter is easy to follow overall. Some linking is a little formulaic, however, and “At the beginning” does not connect as naturally as it could to the explanation of the fault. You could improve the flow by using more precise transitions and making the sequence of events explicit—for instance, explaining that you tested the machine and then discovered its motor did not match the manual. The closing is also incomplete, which slightly weakens the letter’s final organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to explain the complaint and its consequences, including “major defect,” “specifications,” “investment,” and “replace.” These choices communicate the situation clearly, and the reader can understand the requested remedy. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, though: “a smaller motor” is not very precise about the defect, “expensive equipment” is better expressed with an uncountable construction, and “Kind r” appears to be an incomplete sign-off. There are also spelling errors such as “manuel.” Aim for more exact language about the machine’s performance and check spelling and standard letter-closing phrases. This would make the vocabulary more natural and precise without changing the clear message.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and several sentences are controlled, such as “I am writing to you to inform you about a major defect…” and “I would request you to replace this drilling machine as soon as possible.” The meaning remains clear despite some grammatical errors. In “Some of my customers even threatened me to cancel the order if I will not be able to deliver it,” the verb pattern and conditional tense need correction: use “threatened to cancel” and “if I am unable to deliver.” “It is a very expensive equipment” also has an article and countability problem; write “It is very expensive equipment.” Review conditional forms, verb patterns, and articles to make your otherwise clear sentences more consistently accurate.

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.