Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have bought some clothing online and are not satisfied with your purchase.

Write a letter to the company that you bought the clothing from. In your email:

• give details of the purchase
• describe the problem
• explain why you need a replacement urgently

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear manager,

I am writing this letter to tell to you that I am disatisfy with your clothes I have bough party wear blue colour shirt from your online store. I want this replacement as soon possible. My online order no. is [redacted phone]. I am returing this to with invoice. Although I usually do shopping from your store and this thing happened first time.

Firstly, It has different colour from which I ordered. Morever the I ordered Large size but your staff send small size which is entirely unfit to me. Addition to it, it has lot scare of which is totoally visible. Last but not least it is ripped from shoulder. When I opened it I compelety disappointed and thought how can 5 star trated company do like this but I relaized that It could be a human error.

It would be grateful if you replacement my shirt quickly beacause I have to wear this on my cousin wedding next week. Make sure you send me exact thing which I order.

I will wait for my delivery

your sincerely,

Devinder singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover all three required points: you identify the purchase and order number, explain the colour, size and damage problems, and request a quick replacement because you need the shirt for your cousin’s wedding next week. The specific defects make the complaint clear, and your explanation that this may have been human error keeps the tone reasonably measured. This fully addresses the task, while the purchase details and urgency are less developed than the description of the problems. To strengthen the letter further, state when you placed the order and give a clear action request, such as asking the company to confirm dispatch and provide a delivery date.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement: you introduce the complaint, list the problems, then explain the urgency and close. Sequencing phrases such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “Last but not least” help the reader follow the defects. However, the list-like progression is somewhat mechanical, and some links are unclear—for example, “I am returing this to with invoice” does not clearly explain what you are returning or what you want the company to do. The opening and closing are also not fully consistent with a formal letter. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs and connect the request directly to the wedding deadline to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main complaint, with useful task-related terms such as “online order,” “replacement,” “different colour,” and “ripped from shoulder.” However, the range is limited, and noticeable spelling, word-form and collocation errors sometimes make the reader pause. Examples include “disatisfy,” “bough,” “scare,” and “5 star trated”; “lot scare” also does not clearly describe the garment’s condition. Choose precise expressions such as “dissatisfied,” “purchased,” “stains,” and “five-star-rated company.” Proofreading spelling and using natural complaint-letter phrases, such as “the item arrived damaged,” would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “Although I usually do shopping from your store…” and the explanation beginning “because I have to wear this…”. These attempts show some range, and the main message is generally understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms occur across the letter. For example, “I am writing this letter to tell to you” has an unnecessary repeated preposition, while “I ordered Large size but your staff send small size” has problems with articles and verb tense. The request “if you replacement my shirt” also needs a correctly formed verb. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and complete request structures, and check punctuation and capitalisation.

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

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