Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-12

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 hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter regarding the dissatisfication with the Clothes I purchased online two days ago from your website and to explain behind replacing them.

Although I always prefer visit stores when it comes to buying jeans, this time I was recommended to buy them from you by my friend due to having not only a lot of variety you have but also on-going boxing day sale.

Despite looking good in pictures, I found the jeans were not the same I ordered. I made a order of two jeans; one black and blue.However, I got wrong ones in grey and white instead. Moreover, they were not even my size which makes them unfit for me.

I would like you to arrange a replacement for me as soon as possible because next week I am going to attend few functions including birthday party and farewell party which will last for whole week.I am willing to pay you extra delivery charges if you can ship at your earliest times

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Manpreet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three required points: it identifies the online purchase, explains that the colours and sizes received were wrong, and requests a replacement urgently because of upcoming events. The details about ordering black and blue jeans and receiving grey and white ones make the complaint clear, while the birthday and farewell parties explain the timing. The request to pay extra delivery charges also supports the urgency. To make the response more fully developed, specify the order date or reference number and state exactly what sizes or items should be sent. The opening and closing are appropriate for a formal complaint, and the purpose remains clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: the reason for writing, background to the purchase, the problem, and the requested solution. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “Although,” “Despite,” and “Moreover” show relationships between ideas. The progression is easy to follow, though some connections feel slightly forced—for example, the contrast introduced by “Although” does not lead to a particularly strong contrast with the recommendation from a friend. The final request and sign-off would also be clearer if separated into distinct paragraphs. Use linking words where they express a precise relationship, and make sure each paragraph has one clear function.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range for a complaint letter, including relevant terms such as “replacement,” “delivery charges,” “variety,” and “on-going sale.” These choices make the situation understandable, and the writer attempts some less common phrasing. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “dissatisfication,” “explain behind replacing them,” “a lot of variety you have,” and “at your earliest times.” Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “Clothes.” These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the complaint, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Prefer conventional expressions such as “dissatisfaction with my purchase” and “as soon as possible,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the sentence beginning “Although I always prefer…” and the explanation of why a replacement is needed. The main message remains clear despite some grammatical and punctuation errors. Examples include “I always prefer visit stores” (which needs “to visit”), “I made a order” (which needs the correct article), and “attend few functions” (which needs an article). The sentence about the events also shifts awkwardly between future plans and a relative clause, and missing spaces after full stops make the writing less controlled. Practise accurate infinitive patterns, articles, and sentence boundaries, then proofread for punctuation and spacing.

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