Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-17

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 Adams,

I am writing to inform you that the monitor that I bought from your shop yesterday was cracked.

Yesterday I went to your shop to upgrade my monitor to a new and bigger one. Unfortunetly, when I tested the monitor there was a giant crack on the screen. Also, I can not use it for work.

I work as a web designer and this monitor is really important to edit my videos and photos. I bought a bigger monitor to help me visualize the details in photos that I have to edit and that acquisition would help me greattly in my job. However, this crack inviabilize my work until I get a new monitor.

I would like to replace the broken monitor for a new one. Another option is the refund of the broken monitor so I can buy a new.

I expect this issue to be resolved as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Lucas Amiel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements: it reports the cracked screen, explains that the monitor is needed for web-design work, and requests a replacement or refund. The impact is made clear in “this crack inviabilize my work until I get a new monitor,” and the requested remedies are practical. The explanation of the work impact is also supported with details about editing photos and videos and needing to see image details. To make the response more fully developed, clarify when and how the damage was discovered, since the letter says the monitor was bought yesterday but also that you tested it in the shop. A more specific request about arranging the replacement or refund would also strengthen the letter’s purpose.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information follows a sensible order: the opening states the complaint, the next paragraphs describe the purchase and its effect on work, and the final paragraphs request a remedy and prompt resolution. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking words such as “Also” and “However” make relationships between ideas clear. The progression is generally easy to follow, though some connections are a little mechanical, and the repeated references to the crack and the monitor could be streamlined. The account of testing the monitor in the shop is also not fully aligned with the claim that it was bought yesterday, which slightly interrupts the flow. Clarifying that sequence and using more varied transitions would make the organisation more polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for a complaint letter and includes relevant terms such as “monitor,” “cracked,” “refund,” and “web designer.” The writer also attempts more specific language, for example “visualize the details” and “acquisition,” but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “Acquisition” is overly formal in this context, while “inviabilize” is not an appropriate English verb; these choices make parts of the letter less natural even though the meaning remains understandable. There are also spelling errors, including “Unfortunetly” and “greattly.” Aim for accurate, conventional collocations and check spelling carefully; this will make the message sound more fluent and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the conditional alternative in “Another option is the refund … so I can buy a new” and the relative clause “photos that I have to edit.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and punctuation and paragraphing are generally controlled. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “I bought a bigger monitor to help me visualize … and that acquisition would help me,” the coordination is awkward and would be clearer as two sentences. “I would like to replace the broken monitor for a new one” uses an incorrect grammatical pattern for replacement, and “so I can buy a new” needs a noun after “new.” Correcting these patterns would improve accuracy.

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

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