Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-09

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you about the lost online purchase I made. Unfortunetly, I am stastified with my pharchese. The first reason is the size of clothes. Normally, when I buy it from store, I pick Small size. But in this situation a small is sig for me. I have made this purchase on 19th july and received my package on 29th. Although I am satisfied with services and I usually buy clothes from your store, this time I am disapointed. Another one is that, I need these clothes urgently. if I send it for return, it may much more time. Therefore, I want that you should exchange it in store. The reason is I have planned my trip and I have booked tickets so, I need these clothes. I hope you understand my situation and provide me the rlevent solution. I am looking forward to your reponse.

Your's faithfully,

Jaskarnpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: providing purchase details, describing the problem, and explaining the urgency. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation regarding the sizing issue is slightly confusing, as you state you usually wear a 'Small' but then say 'a small is sig [sic] for me'. Additionally, the request for an in-store exchange is clear, but the tone is slightly inconsistent. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the problem is logically consistent and that the tone remains consistently formal throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the introduction to the problem and finally the request for a solution. However, the paragraphing is non-existent; the entire letter is written as one block of text. In IELTS writing, clear paragraphing is essential for a higher score. Furthermore, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic. You rely on simple connectors like 'but' and 'therefore'. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in light of this') and ensure you separate your ideas into distinct paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several spelling errors that detract from the quality of the writing, such as 'Unfortunetly', 'stastified', 'pharchese', 'disapointed', and 'rlevent'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable. While you attempt to use appropriate vocabulary for a formal complaint, the spelling mistakes and the misuse of words like 'sig' (likely meant 'big') hinder the precision of your message. To improve, focus on proofreading your work for common spelling errors and expanding your range of formal vocabulary related to retail and customer service.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'the lost online purchase I made' (which implies the item was lost in transit, rather than you being dissatisfied with it), 'when I buy it from store', and 'it may much more time'. These errors, while not completely impeding communication, occur frequently and affect the overall flow of your writing. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.

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

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