Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in regards to a problem with a laptop that I bought from your shop on 28 October 2026, The model number is X1234R

The issue is with its battery. Which doesnot last no more than 20 mintutes, even-though I left it to charge overnight. As a result, the laptop turns off frequently and without warning.

I am employed full-time from home, I solely rely on this laptop for completing my job duties, including creating meetings among company executives, adding orders to the database, and sending emails to our contractors. However, due to the aforementioned issue, I have lost confidential company data and my reputation infront of my colleagues, As I am not able to schedule group meetings.

Since this laptop is under One-year warranty, I would request you to either repair or replace this laptop. For latter case, I would request

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the equipment and its problem clearly: the laptop battery lasts only briefly despite being charged overnight. You also explain practical effects on your work, including interrupted meetings and lost company data, and request a repair or replacement. However, the request is unfinished: “For latter case, I would request” leaves the reader unsure what you want if a replacement is provided. The letter is also two words below the required minimum. These omissions mean the task is addressed but not fully completed, and some details—particularly the specific remedy and how the company should proceed—need fuller development. Finish the request and add a clear next step, such as asking for collection or a replacement timeline.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a generally clear sequence: you introduce the purchase, describe the battery fault, explain its impact, and then state a remedy. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and links such as “As a result” and “However” make the cause-and-effect relationship understandable. Cohesion is occasionally weakened by punctuation and sentence boundaries, for example, “The issue is with its battery. Which doesnot last…” separates a dependent clause from the sentence it belongs to. The final paragraph also stops abruptly, so the reader cannot follow the request to its conclusion. Use complete sentences, connect related information smoothly, and ensure the closing request forms a complete final section.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “battery,” “warranty,” “confidential company data,” and “repair or replace.” These choices communicate the situation, and “aforementioned issue” shows an attempt at a more formal register. However, several spelling and word-choice problems reduce accuracy, such as “mintutes,” “doesnot,” and “infront.” Some phrasing is also unnatural or imprecise: “creating meetings” would be better expressed as “organising meetings,” while “my reputation” is less specific than describing the professional consequences. Aim for accurate spelling and natural collocations, and choose precise language for the work tasks and impact. This would make the vocabulary more controlled and effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional request (“Since this laptop is under One-year warranty, I would request…”) and a sentence explaining the consequences of the fault. The main meaning is usually understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. “Which doesnot last…” is an incomplete sentence because the relative clause is separated from its main clause; “I am employed full-time from home, I solely rely…” joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in the capital letter after “2026” and “colleagues, As.” Use complete clauses, check article and hyphen use in “a one-year warranty,” and proofread sentence boundaries. More accurate control of these structures would strengthen the letter.

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.