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 hope this message finds you well. The purpose of my writing today is to complain about the recent purchase that I made from your company.

Last Sunday, I placed an online order via your official website. It was a pink floral dress with silver printing on it. My order number was [redacted phone]. Moreover, I paid the full price during the purchase.

I was over the moon to receive my package. However, when I finally opened it, my excitement turned into disappointment after looking at color of dress. Instead of pink in color, I got a red colored gown. I was overwhelmed with my this unfortunate experience.

I ordered this particular dress for my sister's wedding. Since the color theme is pink for all the bride's family, receiving the exact same dress which I selected is essential by the end of this month. I hope you would personally look after this matter at your earliest convenience.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Gurkirat Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly provided the purchase details, including the order number and item description. The problem is explained effectively, and the urgency regarding the sister's wedding is clearly communicated. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details about the desired resolution, such as requesting an express shipping method for the replacement, which would further strengthen the 'urgency' aspect of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which aids readability. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'However', and 'Since', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the description of the problem and the urgency could be smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'over the moon' and 'at your earliest convenience' are used appropriately in context. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'looking at color of dress' (missing articles) and 'my this unfortunate experience' (awkward phrasing). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise collocations related to retail and customer service would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. However, there are some recurring errors, particularly with articles (e.g., 'at color of dress' instead of 'at the color of the dress') and minor awkward phrasing like 'receiving the exact same dress which I selected is essential by the end of this month'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from reaching the higher bands where error-free sentences are more frequent.

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