Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-08

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 this letter regarding an online order I places from your website and have some concerns about the stitching quality of the product.

I myself placed this order online from your website professionalsuits.com for an Italian suit which is meant for my brothers upcoming wedding on this weekend. Unfortunately, the suit which was delivered has stitching errors and it does not meet my standards of fitting. Furthermore, I ordered the suit in light blue shade and the one sent to me is white colour.

Since the weddings is on this weekends, I would like to request an urgent exchange of the product and you to expedite the shipping process. If in case, the colour which I had ordered initially is not available, I would not mind switching it to white because stitching of the suit so that it properly fit my body shape is my only priority now.

Thank you for your support.

Regards

Mathew Andreason.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly identified the purchase details, described the specific problems (stitching and color), and explained the urgency regarding the upcoming wedding. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. To reach a higher band, ensure that the details provided are slightly more specific—for example, including an order number or date of purchase would add realism and depth to the task completion. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the description of the problem from the request for action. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'Since', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though some minor mechanical errors in sentence structure occasionally disrupt the flow. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'expedite', 'stitching errors', and 'priority'. The language is generally natural and appropriate for a formal business context. There are a few minor errors, such as 'I places' (should be 'placed') and 'white colour' (which is fine, but 'white' alone is more concise). To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to customer service, such as 'request a refund' or 'resolve the issue promptly'. The vocabulary used is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'my brothers upcoming wedding' (missing apostrophe: 'brother's'), 'weddings is' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'on this weekends' (incorrect pluralization). These errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and possessive punctuation, as these are common areas where accuracy can be easily refined.

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

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