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 Manager,

I am writing this letter to show by dissatisfaction towards by recent purchase from your company.

The item which i ordered was a black kurta with red ribbons on back from your tommy collection . The code was C345 and the size which i selected was medium .It was one of your highest purchases.

The parcel which i received is totally different . Even , there was a small difference in code but the employees should be more careful while packing the orders. You can totally understand how can someone feels by receiving jeans when waiting for kurta.

I am requesting for an urgent replacement as this item was ordered as a gift for my sister's birthday coming on July20th . By receiving the correct item before the advised date will make our occasion more special .

Yours

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the purpose is clear, the explanation regarding the error (receiving jeans instead of a kurta) is slightly informal and lacks the professional tone expected in a formal complaint letter. To improve, ensure you expand on the impact of the error and provide a more detailed request for resolution to meet the length requirement and demonstrate better task development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition 'Even, there was a small difference' is unnatural and does not effectively link the ideas. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'as a result') to create a more professional and cohesive tone throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are some awkward phrasings, such as 'show by dissatisfaction' (likely a typo for 'my') and 'highest purchases'. The word choice is generally functional but repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more sophisticated collocations related to customer service, such as 'rectify the situation', 'discrepancy', or 'expedited shipping'. Additionally, ensure you proofread for basic errors like 'by' instead of 'my' to avoid distracting the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'how can someone feels' (should be 'how someone feels') and 'By receiving the correct item... will make' (which is syntactically incorrect). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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