Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-22

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

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Dear shopkeeper ,

I am writing a letter to complain shop supplier which equipment you give me that was brick i work at home and I am suffering this problem now you can make it rather than you instead up equipment for this equipment this ideas good for this program solution. I hope you understand my responses and you instead up bricks equipment.

I would like to describe this problem in short paragraphs your equipment is already damaged when i use first day then it was bricked to explain, you give me duplicate equipment because your products was not sell then you are sell from bricked equipment.

I really stressful in recently because this program affecting my work .however, i appreciate you solving this problem and i feedback you next time not chit another person.

I would like to say you instead up your bricked equipment give me new equipment since as , my work stop without equipment so please instead up equipment.

I am really glad and thankful if you consider my appreciation accepted and instead up equipment as soon as possible.

Your customer

Ram

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the central issue—a piece of equipment arrived damaged—and make a clear request for a replacement, so the reader can understand the basic purpose of the letter. You also explain that your work has stopped without the equipment. However, the task is only partly developed: the exact equipment and what is wrong with it are unclear, and the effect on your work is described only briefly. The request is repeated several times rather than made precise, and the accusation that the company supplied a duplicate product is not explained. To strengthen the response, state what the equipment is, describe the fault clearly, explain the practical consequences, and specify a remedy such as a replacement or repair.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has separate paragraphs for the problem, its effect, and the requested action, which gives it some basic organisation. However, the ideas do not progress smoothly: the opening combines the complaint, the equipment problem, and the proposed solution in one confusing sentence, while the request for a replacement is repeated in several later paragraphs. Linking words such as “however” and “since” are used, but the relationships between ideas are not always clear. The closing also does not follow a conventional letter format. Organise the letter in a clear sequence—identify the equipment and fault, explain the impact, then make one specific request—and use straightforward links such as “As a result” to show cause and effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary includes some relevant terms, such as “damaged,” “affecting my work,” and “new equipment,” so the general topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several repeated or inaccurate expressions make the message difficult to interpret. “Bricked equipment” does not clearly describe the fault, and “instead up equipment” is repeated where you appear to mean “replace the equipment.” Phrases such as “not chit another person” and “I appreciate you solving this problem and I feedback you” are also unclear or unsuitable for a formal complaint. Choose precise words for the fault and remedy, and use standard formal expressions such as “I would appreciate your assistance” and “I look forward to your response.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, but control is limited, and errors frequently make the intended meaning hard to follow. For example, “I am writing a letter to complain shop supplier” is missing grammatical elements, while “your products was not sell then you are sell” has problems with agreement and verb forms. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “my work .however,” and several clauses are joined without clear structure. Practise building accurate short sentences first, then combine them with clear connectors. Check articles, verb tense and agreement, and use a full stop before starting a new idea; for example, “The equipment was damaged when I first used it, so I cannot complete my work.”

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

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