Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03
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 4.5)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I writing this letter because i was bought the some clothing online and are not satisfied with your purchase for me.
Overall, i am giving to some details of the purchase item that is dress for my birthday party. But unforuntilly the dress is fitting and also the clothe is not good fibre to me i am very unhappy and disappointed for me. However, i want a replacement urgently because i am not at home from Wednesday and this time i am planing go to Shimala on my this birthday with my family and friends.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While the letter covers the three required bullet points—giving details of the purchase, describing the problem, and explaining the need for an urgent replacement—the development of these ideas is extremely limited. The explanation of the problem is vague, and the urgency is not clearly articulated in a professional manner. To improve, you must expand on your ideas, providing specific details such as the order number, the exact nature of the defect, and a more formal explanation of your travel plans to ensure the tone is appropriate for a business letter.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter lacks a clear structure and logical progression. While there is a basic attempt at paragraphing, the ideas within the paragraphs are disjointed. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences, making the flow of the letter feel mechanical and difficult to follow. For example, the transition between the purchase details and the problem is abrupt. To improve, you should use linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'however' to connect your ideas more effectively and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is very basic and repetitive, which limits your ability to convey your message clearly. There are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'was bought the some clothing' and 'not good fibre'. These errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding. To reach a higher band, you need to use a wider range of vocabulary related to shopping and customer service, such as 'defective', 'fabric', 'refund', or 'exchange'. Focus on learning the correct collocations for common nouns to avoid awkward phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the message. There are consistent issues with verb tenses ('i was bought'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or poorly constructed, such as 'the dress is fitting and also the clothe is not good fibre'. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and basic punctuation is often misused. To improve, focus on mastering simple sentence construction first, ensuring correct tense usage, and then gradually incorporate complex sentences using relative clauses or conditional structures.
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