Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-05

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 5.0)

Dear Sir/ Madam,

i am writing to inform you that i purchased a top from your site .

This is in yellow color and small top. I ordered it on 27 July in Medium size.

The problem is that size is not fit as well as arms of slevees also long .

This is in yellow color and small top The quality is good.

I bought it for my sister's is marriage because i have not enough time to buy it from shop so i ordered it. But this is not according to my choice. i want to return it as much as possible. Because i want to wear it on my sister's marriage.

I am looking forward hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Name- Sonia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation regarding the urgency is repetitive and lacks detail. Because the response is 25 words short of the requirement, the task is only partially addressed in terms of length and depth of development. To improve, you should expand on the specific details of the clothing and provide a more formal and structured explanation of why the replacement is required by a specific date.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, but the flow is disjointed. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly; for example, the sentences about the yellow top are repetitive and lack logical progression. The transition between describing the problem and explaining the urgency is abrupt. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the lack of variety in linking words makes the writing feel mechanical. Using transition words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'however' would help improve the logical flow between your sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. You use simple terms like 'good' and 'small top' which do not demonstrate the range required for higher bands. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'size is not fit' instead of 'the size is incorrect' or 'does not fit'. The repetition of 'yellow color' and 'small top' indicates a limited range of vocabulary. To reach a higher band, try to use more precise descriptive language related to clothing and shopping, and avoid repeating the same phrases within a short text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('in yellow color'), incorrect verb forms ('looking forward hearing'), and punctuation issues. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and the lack of capitalization for 'I' is a recurring error that affects the professional tone of the letter. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors is noticeable. You should focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and ensuring that you use articles and prepositions correctly to improve the accuracy of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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