Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-12

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 writing this letter to inform the company about the dissatisfaction with my purchase.

I had recently bought a shirt online from your official website. The shirt was a regular product and not an exclusive one. I bought a black in colour, large sized shirt. The tracking ID and the receipt of the purchase is attached with this mail.

The issue with the shirt is that the colour has started fading after the very first wash. I have read all the instructions on the tag attached to it, even though, the material started loosing it's original colour.

As I bought the apparel for the special event which is going to happen in 2 days. I would really appreciate the replacement of the shirt within a day as the function is very important for me. Please let me know if you need any more information related to it.

Thank you for your consideration

Regards,

Maunil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identified the purchase, described the fading color issue, and explained the urgency regarding the upcoming event. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opening statement is grammatically complete and avoid slightly informal phrasing like 'regular product'. While the ideas are relevant and well-developed, adding a specific request for a refund or a specific shipping method for the replacement would further enhance the task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with each addressing a specific requirement of the task. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic. For instance, the transition 'even though' is used incorrectly in the second paragraph, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'as a result') would improve the flow and help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'dissatisfaction', 'apparel', and 'consideration'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'loosing' (should be 'losing') and 'regular product'. The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to retail and customer service, and ensure you are using the correct forms of words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

There are several grammatical errors that impact the fluency of the text. For example, 'I writing this letter' is missing the auxiliary verb 'am', and 'it's' is used incorrectly as a possessive pronoun (should be 'its'). Additionally, the sentence 'As I bought the apparel for the special event which is going to happen in 2 days' is a sentence fragment. While you attempt some complex structures, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that all sentences are complete.

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

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