Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter in regards to a complaint I have detailing some of the garments I bought from your establishment

I bought the clothes last week thursday. I got several items such as some latest collection of suits, some pants and blouses.

Most of the clothes have their own unique issues. Firstly the coat part of the suit had a hole and were a size larger than the one I ordered on the underarm making it unwearable. The color was also switched as I had ordered a pink one and they packed the black suit.

Secondly, some of the blouses that were packed were not the ones I selected resulting in a mismatch in some of my clothes. When buying I tried to pair the pants and blouses.

I would love to know the procedure on how to get them replaced as they are clothes I wear daily to the office. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Yours Sincerely,

Lorna Wambui

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: providing purchase details, describing the problems, and explaining the need for a replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention the need for a replacement because you wear the clothes daily, this could be expanded slightly to explain the impact on your professional appearance. Overall, the task is fully addressed, and the purpose of the letter is clear to the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly' to sequence your points. However, the transition between the description of the issues and the request for a replacement is a bit abrupt. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different aspects of the complaint. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider range of linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'them', 'these') is always precise to avoid ambiguity.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'garments', 'establishment', and 'mismatch'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'coat part of the suit' (should be 'jacket') and 'color was also switched' (could be 'incorrect'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly, it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Incorporating more specific descriptive language regarding the quality of the items would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing this letter in regards to a complaint I have detailing some of the garments' (wordy/awkward phrasing) and 'the coat part of the suit had a hole and were a size larger' (subject-verb agreement error: 'was' instead of 'were'). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences would benefit from better comma usage to improve flow. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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