Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-23

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 a letter to inform you about my dissatisfied experience from your company. Recently I've purchased some clothes online from your store for a birthday party. I ordered pair of shirts last week and I received the product today, so I checked the fittings and quality both features dissatisfied me with the quality of the product and the fitting is losse. So I am completely dissatisfied with the product. I order products from your company on regular basis but this time they didn't reach my expectations.

I request you to provide me a urgent replacement because, I have to wear these shirts on my friends birthday which is day after tomorrow so, i don't have another option to adjust. This is because I need it on urgent basis. I hope you will understand my situation and provide me with good quality and proper size product before my friends birthday.

Kind regards,

Zara

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You provided details of the purchase, described the quality and fitting issues, and explained the urgency regarding the birthday party. However, the development of these points is somewhat repetitive, particularly the explanation of the urgency, which is stated multiple times. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is developed with more distinct, varied information rather than restating the same sentiment. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint, and the purpose is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some basic cohesive devices such as 'so', 'because', and 'this is because'. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and the use of transition words could be more varied to improve the overall progression. For example, the transition between describing the problem and requesting the replacement could be smoother. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could benefit from more sophisticated linking words to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'dissatisfied', 'replacement', and 'regular basis'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'dissatisfied experience' (should be 'dissatisfying experience') and 'fittings' (usually 'fit'). Additionally, the repetition of 'dissatisfied' and 'product' limits the lexical variety. To improve, try to use more precise synonyms and ensure that collocations are natural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your meaning clearly, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing a letter to inform you about my dissatisfied experience' (should be 'dissatisfying'), 'I ordered pair of shirts' (missing article 'a'), and 'on urgent basis' (missing article 'an'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and the capitalization of 'i'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of the writing. Focusing on article usage and sentence structure will help improve your score.

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