Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-03

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 address a problem regarding a laptop which I employ daily to work from home. It is causing a disruption in my work.

The main problem with the laptop is its keypad which is not functioning properly and sometimes screen goes blank automatically for few seconds . Its battery life is almost dead because after charging it works for an hour merely. I tried to solve these issue by my own but unable to do so.

This problem is affecting my performance because I am not able to submit my work on time and ardous to meet the targets given by the organisation for whom I work

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the equipment and describe several relevant faults: the keypad does not work properly, the screen goes blank, and the battery lasts only about an hour. You also explain that these problems delay your work and make targets difficult to meet. However, the response is incomplete: it does not say what you want the company to do, such as repair or replace the laptop, and it ends without a closing. The explanation of the impact is also brief. The response contains 114 words, so it is 36 words below the required minimum; this leaves too little space to develop all three bullet points. Add a clear request and expand on the practical consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas follow a generally understandable order: you introduce the laptop problem, describe its faults, and then explain the effect on your work. Paragraphing helps distinguish the opening from the details. The progression is nevertheless limited because the letter stops after the impact paragraph, without a request or sign-off to complete its purpose. Some links between ideas are also abrupt: the battery issue follows the keypad and screen faults without a transition, and the final sentence runs into the next idea without punctuation. To improve the flow, group the faults together, use a clear transition to explain their consequences, and finish with a separate paragraph stating the action you expect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing a workplace problem, including “disruption,” “battery life,” “submit my work on time,” and “targets.” These choices make the situation clear. Some expressions, however, are unnatural or imprecise: “employ daily to work from home” is an awkward way to describe using a laptop, “keypad” is less suitable than “keyboard” here, and “ardous to meet the targets” does not express the intended meaning clearly. “Solve these issue” also contains a word-form/number problem. Aim for natural collocations and precise terms, such as “use daily,” “the keyboard is malfunctioning,” and “difficult to meet my targets.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and a longer sentence to describe the laptop faults, and the main meaning is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain. In “sometimes screen goes blank,” the singular count noun needs an article (“the screen”), while “for few seconds” also needs an article (“for a few seconds”). “I tried to solve these issue … but unable to do so” has a plural agreement error and omits the subject and verb in the second clause; write, for example, “I tried to solve these issues myself, but I was unable to do so.” The final sentence also needs a full stop. More accurate sentence construction and punctuation would make the letter easier to read.

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