Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-26

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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to express deepest displeasure with the recent purchase that I made from your store. On Sunday, June 27th,2026 I visited your store due to attractive store offers. When I looked at the clothing, I liked a Black Denim Jacket along with the pearls on the sleeves to enrich the overall look. But, I was told to order online from the store website, as the Jacket of my size was not available.

Unfortunately, when I received my order, I was shocked after looking at the box, as it was terribly damaged. However, it did not bother me a lot, given that the product was important for me. But, upon unboxing the product, I found a damage not only on the right sleeve but also on the back of the jacket too. The stitches were teared off, which could make the product not worthwhile to the money I spent on it.

To mitigate the issues, I would request you to provide a replacement as soon as possible, as I need this jacket to wear on my birthday which is on next Tuesday. I have planned a theme party which is supposed to go with the dress code and for that I made a plan to wear it on my special day.

I believe these problems require immediate attention, and I would appreciate it if you resolve the issue urgently to maintain the customer experience. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Milan Bodar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly provided details of the purchase, described the specific damage to the jacket, and explained the urgency of the replacement due to your upcoming birthday party. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, ensuring the reader understands the situation and the desired outcome. You have maintained a consistent focus throughout the letter, and the purpose is clear from the beginning to the end.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'To mitigate the issues' to link your ideas effectively. The progression of information is smooth, moving from the purchase details to the problem and finally to the requested solution. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly and with some precision. Phrases like 'express deepest displeasure', 'mitigate the issues', and 'maintain the customer experience' are well-chosen and appropriate for the formal context. While there are some minor collocation issues, such as 'stitches were teared off' (should be 'torn') and 'worthwhile to the money' (should be 'worth the money'), these do not impede communication. You show an awareness of style, which is a positive feature of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, which allows for easy reading. There are a few grammatical slips, such as 'the Jacket of my size' (should be 'a jacket in my size') and 'which is on next Tuesday' (should be 'next Tuesday'). Additionally, 'teared' is an incorrect past participle form of 'tear'. However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause any confusion for the reader. Your control over punctuation and sentence structure is generally strong.

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