Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to report an issue with my newly purchased laptop, model number T5540X bill dated on 28 August 2026.

The laptop has severe battery drain problem, which in turn gave rise to hardware issues. Such as, its software is not able to fully utilising its hardware potential, processor working at slow speed, constant hanging are its side-effects. Furthermore, due to the low batter, Laptop turns off without warning which leads to frequent data loss

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the central issue—a serious battery-drain problem—and give relevant consequences, including the laptop shutting down unexpectedly and causing data loss. However, the response addresses only part of the task: it does not explain the broader effect on your work, such as missed deadlines or interrupted meetings, and it never says what action you want the supplier to take. The equipment description is also difficult to follow where you connect battery drain to software and processor problems. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, so there is not enough development to fulfil the letter’s purpose. To improve, cover all three bullet points explicitly and request a clear remedy, such as repair, replacement, or a refund.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter begins appropriately and presents the complaint before listing its effects, so the reader can identify the general topic. The linking expressions “Furthermore” and “which in turn” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the response ends abruptly without a request, closing, or clear progression through the three required points. The sentence beginning “Such as” is a fragment, and the list of software, processor, and hanging problems is not clearly organised in relation to the battery issue. Use separate paragraphs for the fault, its impact on work, and the action requested. Complete the letter with a direct request and a suitable sign-off so its structure feels finished.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for a technical complaint, including “battery drain,” “processor,” “hardware,” and “data loss.” These terms help communicate the general nature of the problem. However, several choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, such as “low batter,” “constant hanging,” and “hardware potential,” which make parts of the description less clear. “Newly purchased” and “without warning” are appropriate, but the limited range reflects the short response and leaves the impact on work and requested remedy unexplained. Aim for precise, natural collocations—for example, describe the laptop as “running slowly” or “freezing,” and say that it “loses power unexpectedly.” Proofread spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, including the relative clause in “which in turn gave rise to hardware issues” and the clause explaining that the laptop turns off without warning. The main message is generally understandable. However, some sentence construction and verb-form errors reduce accuracy: “Such as” is an incomplete sentence, “not able to fully utilising” uses an incorrect verb pattern, and “processor working at slow speed” lacks a finite verb and article. The final sentence also needs clearer punctuation and sentence boundaries. Practise forming complete clauses and using patterns such as “is unable to utilise” or “cannot use,” then check articles and verb forms when editing.

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