Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-10

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

i am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a product that I have purchased last Saturday, through an Instagram advertisement for my upcoming birthday party which will be held next Sunday.

I have been searching for a denim frock for my birthday party online due to my hectic life style. I wont be able to purchase outdoor. While scrolling Instagram i viewed your product which was very eye catching with attractive prompts.

However, it does not fit my size and style. Additionaly, while inspecting the garment I found several damages, such as some buttons are missing, ther are some stains on the material, and the clothe you have used was a substandard quality. Moreover, the advertisement that you have posted in the platform and the real view has a drastic change.

Therefore, I kindly request an alternative for my clothing as soon as possible. Hence ther are only 4 days to get ready for my birthday. Please make an replacement with good quality. I prefer the same design without any damages.

I look forward to your prompt response and a swift resolution to this Matter.

yours faithfully,

Mark Anna

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points: it identifies the purchase as a denim dress ordered through an Instagram advertisement, describes the poor fit and condition, and explains that the birthday is next Sunday, so a replacement is needed quickly. The request for the same design in good condition is clear, and the formal opening and closing suit a complaint letter. The details about missing buttons, stains, and the difference between the advertisement and the item received support the complaint. To make the response more fully developed, include practical purchase details such as the order date, item name or order number, and the action you expect if a replacement cannot arrive in time.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The message has a clear overall sequence: purchase context, problems with the garment, then the urgent request and closing. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “However,” “Moreover,” and “Therefore” make the progression easy to follow. This shows sound organisation, although some connections feel mechanical or repetitive: “Therefore” is followed by “Hence,” and the relationship between the birthday deadline and the requested replacement could be expressed more directly. The opening paragraph also combines the purchase and party context in a long sentence. Use a wider range of natural transitions and clearer references between ideas to make the flow more flexible and polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a formal complaint, including “lodge a complaint,” “substandard quality,” “alternative,” and “swift resolution.” These choices communicate the issue and desired outcome, and the vocabulary is generally appropriate to the task. There are, however, several spelling and word-choice errors, including “Additionaly,” “ther,” “clothe,” and “outdoor,” as well as less natural phrases such as “attractive prompts” and “the real view.” These do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and control. Prefer conventional clothing and customer-service language, such as “advertisement,” “item received,” “replacement,” and “poor-quality fabric,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example the relative clause in “which will be held next Sunday” and the sentence beginning “while inspecting the garment.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “a product that I have purchased last Saturday,” where the past-time reference calls for a past-tense form, “I wont be able to purchase outdoor,” and “Please make an replacement.” There are also issues with capitalisation and punctuation, such as lowercase “i” and “yours faithfully,” and the comma splice in the list of garment defects. Review tense consistency, articles, sentence boundaries, and standard letter punctuation to improve accuracy.

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

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