Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-26

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 4.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the Intel laptop model-number [redacted phone] bill dated on 28 April 2026.

The laptop was working fine for a week, however it started to show the blue-screen every-time I turn it on

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You establish the purpose of the letter by saying you are dissatisfied with the laptop and identify a specific fault: it shows a blue screen whenever you turn it on. However, the response addresses only the problem itself. It does not explain how the fault affects your work or state what action you want the company to take, so the main requirements are largely incomplete. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words, leaving too little space to develop the complaint. To improve, explain the practical consequences—for example, missed deadlines or inability to access files—and request a repair, replacement, or refund, with a suitable timeframe.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The opening gives the reader a clear indication that this is a complaint, and the next sentence introduces the laptop fault, so the limited information has a basic sequence. However, the letter stops before developing the explanation or making a request, and there is no closing or sign-off. The relationship between the purchase details and the problem could also be made clearer. Build the letter in a logical order: identify the purchase, describe when and how the fault occurs, explain its effect on your work, then state the remedy you expect. Use paragraphing and linking expressions to guide the reader through these points.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant vocabulary to identify the product and fault, including “laptop,” “dissatisfaction,” and “blue-screen,” so the central issue is understandable. The range is very limited, however, and some expressions are not natural or precise for a formal complaint: “Intel laptop model-number” and “bill dated on” do not clearly describe the purchase information. “Blue-screen” could be expressed more precisely as a blue-screen error or system crash. Expand your vocabulary with terms for the impact and requested remedy, such as “unable to access work files,” “disrupting my deadlines,” “repair,” or “replacement.” This would make the letter clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a basic opening sentence and a longer sentence with a time clause, showing some attempt to vary sentence structure. Meaning is generally recoverable, but control is uneven. In “The laptop was working fine for a week, however it started…,” the two independent clauses need stronger punctuation or a linking conjunction; for example, use a full stop before “However.” The phrase “every-time I turn it on” also needs standard punctuation and tense consistency: write “every time I turned it on” when describing the fault after it began. Develop a wider range of accurate sentences to explain the consequences and make a clear request.

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.