Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-25

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/Madam

I am writing to inform that recently i purchased a leather jacket on last week by online platform but I am not satisfied due to various reasons which i explain in upcoming paragraphs.

I bought this jacket through online because I have a shortage of time and i have to wear it on my cousin's birthday which will be on 23 august. I bought this because on website showing lot of features. Firstly, it is black leather jacket which have two pockets and attached with feather cap It is waterproof jacket. Furthermore, when received a packet and i opened it I experienced that it was not in black colour and also oversized .Apart from that the zip of jacket was not working properly .

I want to replace it urgently because i have a plane to wear it on cousin's birthday and I am so excited about that please replace it as soon as possible I was returned it on next day of delivery .

Thanks for your understanding .

Your faithfully,

Kiran

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. The description of the jacket's features is slightly confusing, and the explanation for the urgency is repetitive. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint, the structure is a bit disjointed. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details about the purchase (such as an order number or date) and ensure the flow between the problem and the request for a solution is more logical and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'Apart from that' is used, but the overall flow between sentences is sometimes abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'I experienced that it was not in black colour'. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message effectively, but there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors. Phrases like 'by online platform' and 'I experienced that it was not in black colour' are unnatural. Additionally, there are minor errors in word formation, such as 'feather cap' (likely meaning 'hood'). To improve, focus on learning common collocations used in business correspondence, such as 'placed an order' instead of 'purchased... by online platform' and 'defective' instead of 'not working properly'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'on last week'), incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'I was returned it'), and punctuation errors, such as the lack of capitalization for 'i' and the incorrect closing 'Your faithfully'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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