Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-23

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 5.5)

Dear sir or madam,

Hope so you are enjoying good health.

Actullay i want to tell you about the iteam you send to me that i have been order from your company.Every item is good in quailty except one item.

You know that i ordered a drilling machine from your website but its not working properly. I am using this machine in daily routine in my work and its very important equipment for dailywork use. So basically i want to tell you the actual fault in that drilling machine.

when first time i used this machine its working absoultley fine. But after using it for sometime its stop working. I thought may b its new and they have battery not fully charged so i put machine on charge and then i leave machine for one hour for charge.Charging light is blinking its means that are charging but after one hour when i removed from charge i am thinking that now its working fine but when i turned on machine it didnt starts.So i want to replace this item and i am sending this item to you back.I am very greatful to you if You guys replace this machine.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you identify the drilling machine as faulty, explain that you rely on it for your daily work, and request a replacement. The account of charging it for an hour and finding that it still would not start gives the complaint useful detail. However, the effect on your work is only stated generally as the machine being important; explain what work is delayed or how the fault affects your ability to complete tasks. The requested action is clear, but the return arrangement is not fully explained: you say you are sending it back without asking about a return label, collection, or the replacement process. Developing these points more fully would make the letter more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a broadly sensible order: you introduce the purchase, describe the fault, explain its importance to your work, and request a replacement. This makes the purpose of the letter understandable. Some links between ideas are mechanical or unclear, however. For example, “So basically i want to tell you the actual fault” announces information that the next sentences then provide, while “But after using it for sometime its stop working” could connect more smoothly to the charging explanation. The letter is also presented as one long block, so the stages of the complaint are not visually separated. Use short paragraphs for the purchase and problem, the work impact, and your requested solution, with clearer transitions between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the complaint, including “drilling machine,” “battery,” “charging light,” and “replace.” However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the letter less clear or natural, such as “iteam,” “quailty,” “dailywork,” and “greatful.” Some phrases are also awkward for a formal complaint: “Hope so you are enjoying good health” and “You guys replace this machine” do not fit the business context well. Choose standard, precise expressions such as “I am writing to report a fault” and “I would be grateful if you could replace the machine.” More accurate spelling and appropriate formal vocabulary would improve clarity and tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the sequence of events is generally understandable. However, control of verb forms and sentence construction is inconsistent. For example, “after using it for sometime its stop working” needs a past-tense form, while “when first time i used this machine its working” mixes past and present forms. The sentence beginning “I thought may b its new” also lacks a clear grammatical structure, and several sentences run together without appropriate punctuation, particularly the account of charging the machine. Practise forming clear past-tense sentences and separating related ideas with full stops. More accurate sentence boundaries and verb forms would make your explanation easier to follow.

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

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