Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my clothing item that i recently purchased from your online store. On 12st July i ordered navy blue suit, medium size through your website. The order was delivered after 3 days.

Unfortunately, the suit i received does not match my order. Instead of a navy blue suit, i received black one, and the jacket is also one size smaller than what i requested. As a result, i am unable to wear it. In addition, the stitching quality is also appears to below standard advertised on website.

I would appreciate it if you could send me the correct item at you earliest. I need the replacement urgently because i will be wearing it on my brother's weeding which is due next weekend and i had specially order it for that occasion. If possible, i would also like to know the process of returning the wrong product i received.

I look forward to your prompt response and a quick resolution to this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Pankaj

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly provided the purchase details, described the specific issues with the suit (color and size), and explained the urgency regarding your brother's wedding. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. You have fulfilled all requirements of the task effectively, ensuring the reader understands both the problem and the desired outcome.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'In addition', and 'As a result' to link your ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, the transition between sentences could be slightly more varied to reach a higher band. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the progression of ideas is logical throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. Phrases like 'express my dissatisfaction', 'prompt response', and 'quick resolution' are well-chosen for a formal complaint. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'weeding' instead of 'wedding' and '12st' instead of '12th'. Additionally, 'below standard advertised' is missing a preposition. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from being considered highly flexible or sophisticated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several recurring grammatical errors, particularly with capitalization (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I') and articles (e.g., 'received black one' instead of 'received a black one'). There are also minor errors in verb usage, such as 'is also appears to below' which should be 'appears to be below'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause confusion or impede the reader's understanding of the situation.

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