Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear sir,

I hope you'are doing well. I am writing this letter to dissatisfaction with my purchasing dress which quality is not good so I want to exchange it.

To begin with, when I saw the photograph then I loving it that dress , but after delivered the quietly is very cheap as well as colour is to different of my expectations.so that's a reason I want to change it.

Apart from this, my problem with this dress firstly, I do not like the colour of dress and its totally received different of my thinking .

Actually, I Wearing this dress in my office party which is on 12 November and in this party has peach colour theme for female staff that's why I want to exchange my dress as per as soon so that I join my office party.

lastly , I ordered so many clothes from shein so I believe you fullfill my satisfaction .

your obediently,

poojaverma.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main purpose by explaining that the dress did not meet your expectations and asking to exchange it. You also give a reason for urgency: an office party on 12 November with a peach-colour theme. However, the purchase details are incomplete: the company, order date or number, and the item’s exact description are not provided. The problem is repeated as dissatisfaction with the colour, while the quality issue is mentioned but not explained clearly. The request would be more effective if you specified the replacement you need, such as a peach-coloured dress, and asked the company to arrange it before the event. These gaps leave parts of the task only partially developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a basic sequence: you introduce the complaint, describe the dress, explain the event deadline, and close with a request for satisfaction. Paragraph breaks and signposting such as “To begin with,” “Apart from this,” and “lastly” help the reader identify stages. However, progression is not always clear because the colour complaint is repeated in the second and third paragraphs, and some linking phrases do not show a logical relationship between ideas. For example, “Apart from this” introduces another version of the same problem rather than a distinct point. Organise the letter into purchase details, the specific fault, and the urgent remedy, using fewer and more precise transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to a complaint, including “exchange,” “quality,” “expectations,” and “theme,” so the reader can identify the main issue. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the message difficult to interpret. Phrases such as “my purchasing dress,” “after delivered,” and “I believe you fullfill my satisfaction” do not express the intended meaning naturally. There are also spelling and form errors, including “quietly” where you appear to mean “quality,” and “fullfill.” Aim for standard customer-service language and precise descriptions of the garment and the remedy you want; this will make the complaint clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a sentence explaining the party deadline, but the range is limited and complex attempts are often faulty. Errors in verb forms, sentence construction, articles, and agreement occur frequently: “I am writing this letter to dissatisfaction” and “when I saw the photograph then I loving it” are difficult to follow. In “after delivered,” the clause lacks a clear subject and correctly formed verb, while “in this party has peach colour theme” has an incomplete structure. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, with missing spaces after full stops and commas. Practise building accurate complaint sentences with a clear subject and verb, then connect them with simple clauses before attempting longer structures.

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