Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-29

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 7.0)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction regarding my recent online purchase from your website. Last week, I purchased two pair of jeans and two denim shirts from your website, Apex Clothes. My purchase ID number is 7814-2P-3-4-0. Apart from this, I bought a white color sneaker, which was perfectly comfortable and good in quality.

Unfortunately, I had an issue with my only pair of jeans and shirt. I found number of issue in it. To begin with, jeans quality was poor and both had different size. None of one fitted me accurately. Another problem is that I ordered white and grey shirt, but I received blue and black with different brand.

I ordered this pair because I am going to holiday for next few weeks and I don't have a new pair of clothes. I am really dissatisfied with your service. Whether you replace my order as soon as possible or give me my full refund. I am your frequent customer. First time I face this kind of problem from your side.

I look forward to your prompt response in this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Parth

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: providing purchase details, describing the problems, and explaining the need for an urgent replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention the jeans were of poor quality and the wrong size, providing more specific details (e.g., 'the seams were frayed' or 'the waist was two inches too small') would have strengthened the response. The request for a replacement is clear, but the urgency could be better justified by explaining the nature of the holiday or the specific event you are attending.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Another problem is,' and 'Apart from this' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'None of one fitted me accurately.' The transition between the description of the problem and the request for a solution is functional but could be smoother. Overall, the information is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to structure the complaint.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. You use relevant terms like 'dissatisfaction,' 'purchase,' and 'frequent customer.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I found number of issue in it' (should be 'a number of issues') and 'I am going to holiday' (should be 'going on holiday'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over common collocations and pluralization to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction...' and 'Whether you replace my order... or give me my full refund.' There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement ('jeans quality was poor') and article usage ('I ordered white and grey shirt'). Additionally, the sentence 'Whether you replace my order as soon as possible or give me my full refund' is a fragment and lacks a main verb to make it a complete request. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the letter.

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