Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-11

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 7.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the clothes I purchased online from your company.

I ordered a pair of shirts from your website on the 5th of June and they were delivered to me yesterday as I had paid for an urgent delivery. My order number is XY-361.

I was rather disappointed to see that the colour of both the shirts was not fresh as it had appeared on the website. One of the shirts was damaged and it did not fit me properly, even though i checked the dimensions of the shirt online before ordering. The other shirt had a small hole in its pocket from which i could pass my finger through easily.

I would appreciate an urgent replacement as I ordered these shirts for my job interview which is scheduled next week. A good first impression is of paramount importance and your dressing plays a vital role in job interviews.

Therefore I request you to take immediate action upon my request and take all necessary measures to ensure the timely delivery of the shirts.

Yours sincerely,

Haris

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 (order number and date), described the specific problems with the shirts (colour discrepancy, damage, and sizing issues), and explained the urgency regarding your upcoming job interview. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and the purpose is clear throughout. The response is well-structured and covers all requirements of the task effectively, demonstrating a clear understanding of the communicative goal.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the purchase details to the specific problems, and finally to the requested solution. You use cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'even though', and 'as' to link ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, which contributes to a professional and coherent tone throughout the correspondence.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal complaint. Phrases like 'express my dissatisfaction', 'paramount importance', and 'take immediate action' are well-chosen and enhance the formal tone. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions related to customer service could elevate the response further, but the current range is sufficient for a high band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The grammar is generally accurate, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You successfully use subordinate clauses, such as 'even though i checked the dimensions' and 'which is scheduled next week'. There are minor slips, such as the failure to capitalize the personal pronoun 'i' in two instances and a slight awkwardness in the phrase 'from which i could pass my finger through easily'. However, these are minor and do not interfere with the clarity of your message. The majority of your sentences are error-free.

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

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