Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to inform you about the quality issue of the products which I have bought from your website.

On 1st August, I bought two white shirts and a pair of pants in a black colour. The reference number of the purchase is XXX[redacted phone] and my membership email is [redacted email]. The products belongs to the office wear collection and their serial numbers are S[redacted phone] for the shirts and P[redacted phone] for the pant.

The parcel was delivered today and upon opening the parcel, I noticed that the white shirts were stained with yellow hue. Due to which I cannot wear the shirts to my work.

I ordered the outfit because I am starting for my new job next week and it is the dress code for my work. Currently, I do not own any white shirt. This is my first job and I want to make a good first impression on my manager. So, I need the replacement urgently. Please send the replacement before Sunday because my work starts on Monday. I hope the situation is dealt promptly.

Kind regards,

Harman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly provided the purchase details, including reference and serial numbers, described the specific issue regarding the stained shirts, and explained the urgency of the replacement due to your upcoming job start date. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and the purpose is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, you could ensure that the closing request is slightly more formal and integrated into the flow of the letter, but overall, the task requirements are fully met with well-developed ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear progression from the introduction of the purchase to the description of the problem and the final request for action. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different stages of your argument. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Due to which' and 'Currently', to link your ideas. However, some transitions could be smoother; for instance, 'Due to which' is a sentence fragment and would be better connected to the previous sentence. Overall, the information is easy to follow, and the structure is appropriate for a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal business context, such as 'inform', 'reference number', and 'replacement'. There are a few minor inaccuracies, such as 'in a black colour' (which is slightly unnatural; 'black' is sufficient) and 'the products belongs' (a subject-verb agreement error). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations or slightly more sophisticated phrasing would elevate the response. The current range is adequate for the task but lacks the flexibility and precision required for the highest bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'the products belongs' (should be 'belong') and 'the white shirts were stained with yellow hue' (missing an article: 'a yellow hue'). Additionally, 'Due to which I cannot wear...' is a fragment that should be joined to the preceding sentence. Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the punctuation is generally correct. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed correctly without creating fragments.

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

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