Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-24
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 am writing to express my concern regarding an issue with a recent online purchase from your website.
To be more precise , Last Monday on 21st June 2026, I purchased two jackets and three shirts from your website. The parcel was delivered on this Saturday . I opened the parcel with very high expectations .
Unfortunately , the service I received did not meet our expectations although I packaging of the product was good , one of the jacket was not same as the picture as well as I received only two shirts and both had poor quality.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While you have attempted to cover the required points—giving details of the purchase and describing the problem—the third requirement (explaining why you need a replacement urgently) is entirely missing. Because the response is under-length and fails to address all parts of the prompt, it cannot be awarded a higher band. To improve, ensure you fully develop each bullet point and aim to write at least 150 words to provide a complete and professional response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter lacks a clear structure and paragraphing. While there is a basic attempt to sequence information, the lack of development makes the overall flow disjointed. Cohesive devices are minimal, and the transition between the description of the purchase and the problems encountered is abrupt. To improve, use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and incorporate linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition' to connect your ideas more logically and improve the overall readability of the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally functional but limited. You use basic terms like 'good' and 'poor quality', which are repetitive and lack the precision required for a formal complaint letter. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'one of the jacket' (should be plural 'jackets') and 'not same as' (should be 'not the same as'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'discrepancy', or 'unsatisfactory'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of your writing. Examples include 'Last Monday on 21st June' (unnecessary capitalization of 'Last'), 'one of the jacket' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'I packaging of the product' (incorrect word form). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure you use articles correctly. Practicing more complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or conditional sentences, will also help demonstrate a wider range of grammatical control.
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