Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing to complaint about the clothes that I purchased from your website, I ordered a purple color dress with white jacket. The cost was $100.I received the order yesterday. When opened it, I was very disappointed.

The color of my dress was not same with the picture. I can adjust with the color but the size is medium and i ordered a large one. Another problem with jacket design, which is totally opposite.

I mainly order this to wear on special occasion that is my friend's marriage. It will be on next Sunday and i want to wear that dress. Purple color is our dress code for occasion. I request to that i need a urgent replacement of my order. So, i can wear it and enjoy our function. I hope you will understand my situation and I am look forward for your response.

Yours sincerely,

Jaspreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: providing purchase details, describing the issues, and explaining the urgency. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the dress color and size issues, the description of the jacket's design is vague ('totally opposite'). To reach a higher band, provide more specific details about the defects. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader understands the situation, but the response would benefit from more precise language to ensure the company can resolve the issue effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure, moving from the purchase details to the problems and finally the request for a replacement. Paragraphing is used, though the transitions between sentences could be smoother. You rely on simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'so'. To improve, try using a wider range of cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'due to the fact that'. While the overall progression is clear, the mechanical nature of some sentences makes the flow feel a bit disjointed. Referencing is generally clear, but ensure that pronouns like 'it' clearly refer back to the intended noun.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'purchased', 'disappointed', and 'replacement'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I am writing to complaint' (should be 'complain') and 'not same with' (should be 'not the same as'). Additionally, 'I can adjust with the color' is not a natural expression; 'I could overlook the color' would be more appropriate. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure you are using the correct word forms (e.g., noun vs. verb).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include missing articles ('the' jacket, 'a' large one), incorrect verb forms ('I am look forward' instead of 'I am looking forward'), and punctuation errors, such as comma splices in the first paragraph. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and the use of articles.

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