Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-28
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,
I am writing this email about the unsatisfactory purchase that I made last week on your website. I usually bought cloths from your website but t-shirt that i purchased last week, I was really disappointed from that.
I went through your site and saw there is an offer going on t-shirts, so i made my mind to buy t-shit. I selected a t-shirt which is in blue color and has white strips on it. The image on the website is quite attractive.
Unfortunately, when i receive it i noticed that the color is different from the one that i saw on the site. Also the quality of the fabric is not good. I ordered this t-shirt for a night party at my school next week.
As I told you about the party. I already make my mind to wear that t-shirt with suitable pants on that occasion.
Looking forward your positive reply.
Sincrerly,
Sam.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all three bullet points: the purchase details, the problem with the item, and the urgency of the replacement. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of the urgency is repetitive, stating 'I already make my mind to wear that t-shirt' without providing a more professional or persuasive tone. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint, but the content could be expanded to better reflect the frustration of the situation. Overall, the task is addressed, but the development of ideas is basic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the description of the problem and the urgency is abrupt. There is a lack of varied linking words to connect ideas smoothly. While the overall progression is clear, the paragraphing is somewhat simplistic, and the flow between sentences could be improved with more sophisticated transitions.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'cloths' instead of 'clothes', 't-shit' (a typo), and 'make my mind' instead of 'made up my mind'. The range is limited to basic, everyday language. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'discrepancy', or 'expedited'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'I usually bought cloths' (tense error), 't-shirt that i purchased' (capitalization and article usage), and 'when i receive it' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization of 'I'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and suggest a lack of control over basic grammatical rules.
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