Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-06
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 6.0)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing this letter to inform you about dress which i bought online but I am not satisfied with my purchase.
On 3rd march I ordered a dress from your website which was at discount rate . There was lot of variety and then i finalize one dress . I payed and my order was confirmed . In few days i got the parcel of dress which I ordered.
The dress is really very pretty , the color is very pretty. But the size which i ordered does not fit me . I have ordered medium size that's regular size which I prefer. But this time this size is not working for me . The dress is too tight to fit me.
I have ordered this dress for my birthday party .my birthday party is day after tomorrow. i had asked for quick delivery as i wanted the dress as early as possible. So now as my birthday party is near i want new size i.e LARGE as early as possible .Hopefully i get new size as early as possible.
Regards
yashi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: purchase details, the nature of the problem, and the urgency of the replacement. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint, although it occasionally slips into a more conversational style. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the request for a replacement is well-justified by the mention of the upcoming birthday party. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific details, such as an order number or the exact date of purchase, to make the complaint more professional and effective.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the purchase to the issue and finally the requested solution. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'as early as possible' are used multiple times, which makes the writing feel a bit mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words and transition phrases would help the flow of the letter and make the connection between sentences more sophisticated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate the problem clearly. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, with frequent use of basic adjectives like 'pretty' and 'nice'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'discount rate' instead of 'discounted rate' and 'finalize one dress' instead of 'selected a dress'. To improve, the student should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'inconvenience', or 'exchange'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Common issues include missing articles ('about dress', 'in few days'), incorrect verb tenses ('I payed' instead of 'paid'), and punctuation errors, such as inconsistent capitalization and spacing around punctuation marks. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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