Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my recent purchase of a pant and shirt from your online store. I bought those products through your website on 3rd March 2026 with an invoice no#[redacted phone].

After unboxing the parcel, I discovered several problems with the clothes. For the pant, the color was different than the one I ordered. Actually, I bought this pant for my office wear and specially requested the white color to comply with our strict dress code. Additionally, the shirt was too tight; as a result, I hardly can wear it.

I would really appreciate it, if you can refund in full without any deductions. Alternatively, I would be happy to get a replacement within a week as I need those dress urgently.

I hope you will take this matter seriously and provide me a prompt solution. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Adam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly provided the purchase details (date and invoice number), described the specific problems with the items (incorrect color and poor fit), and explained the urgency of the situation (office dress code requirements). The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and the purpose is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the impact of the incorrect items to further develop the ideas, but overall, the response is complete and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose: the introduction states the purpose, the body paragraphs detail the issues and the desired resolution, and the closing is standard. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally,' 'as a result,' and 'Alternatively,' which help the flow of the text. However, the transition between the description of the problems and the request for a refund could be slightly smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a coherent response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your points clearly. Phrases like 'express my dissatisfaction,' 'comply with our strict dress code,' and 'provide me a prompt solution' are well-chosen and appropriate for a formal letter. There are a few minor errors, such as using 'a pant' (which should be 'a pair of trousers' or 'pants') and 'those dress' (which should be 'these items' or 'this clothing'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations for clothing items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I would really appreciate it, if you can refund in full without any deductions.' There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I hardly can wear it' (word order: 'I can hardly wear it') and the aforementioned singular/plural agreement issues. However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion for the reader. The majority of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures and ensure consistent subject-verb agreement.

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