Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-04

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 5.5)

Subject- Not satisfied from online clothing

Dear- Sir/ Madam,

I hope you are doing well,

I am writing to complain about some online purchasing, which is not well from my expectations. The dress which I purchased it from Zara site On last 12th July. Also, it is very popular brand. Moreover, the size of this dress is too loose and their material quality is poor according to the price. I ordered this dress for my 18th birthday.

In addition, I organizing a party on 15th July. However, I am not satisfied from my dress. There color is purple, but I chose red.

Please give my few instructions for return as soon as possible because I wear this dress on my celebration time. I believe that you will understand my situation. I always trusted the quality of your products.

Thank you for your cooperation and I look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

Komalpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the description of the problem is fragmented, mentioning size, quality, and color issues in separate, short sentences. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the tone is occasionally inconsistent, and the explanation for the urgency is brief. To improve, you should expand on the specific details of the purchase (e.g., order number) and provide a more cohesive explanation of why the replacement is needed for your event, ensuring the tone remains professional throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into a logical sequence, moving from the complaint to the requested action. However, the paragraphing is not effectively utilized; the entire body of the letter is presented as a single block, which hinders readability. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'In addition,' their usage is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural. The transition between the description of the dress and the request for a return is abrupt. Improving the use of paragraph breaks and varying your linking words will help the flow of your ideas and make the letter more professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'cooperation' and 'expectations.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'not well from my expectations' (should be 'did not meet my expectations') and 'I organizing a party' (should be 'I am organizing'). Additionally, 'There color is purple' contains a grammatical error ('Their' vs 'There'). While the meaning is generally clear, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and lacks the precision required for higher band scores. Focusing on correct collocations and word forms will significantly improve your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as 'I am writing to complain about some online purchasing, which is not well from my expectations' and 'The dress which I purchased it from Zara site.' The misuse of articles ('the Zara site') and verb tenses ('I wear this dress') is noticeable. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of control over complex sentence structures. Increasing your focus on subject-verb agreement and accurate tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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