Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-14

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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this email regarding a purchase of gym short which was bought one week ago. I have a very bad experience with this product.

My order number is 12345 and it was arrived day before yesterday. It is a gym short medium size. As i always buy the same size from any other store but this one was somewhat tight.

Today while doing squats in the gym the short got torned from underneath because of the material used for making it was very low in quality. I went online to look for the reviews and saw the same issue with most of the consumers.

I would like to have a replacement as soon as possible or atleast a refund. As a buyer, it is not fair to sell this kind of material for such high price. I would really appriciate if you could send me better quality product.

Your failthfully,

Surya Dulawat

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: providing purchase details, describing the problem, and explaining the need for a replacement. However, the tone is somewhat inconsistent for a formal letter of complaint. While you mention the need for a replacement, you do not explicitly explain why it is needed 'urgently' as requested by the prompt (e.g., for an upcoming event or competition). The ideas are relevant, but the development is slightly thin. To reach a higher band, ensure you fully address every aspect of the prompt with specific details that justify your request.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear progression from the purchase details to the problem and finally the desired resolution. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Today' and 'As a buyer' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is grouped into one block. Using distinct paragraphs for each point (purchase, problem, and request) would improve the structure significantly. Additionally, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, which limits the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'replacement', 'refund', and 'consumers'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'gym short' (should be plural 'shorts') and 'torned' (incorrect past participle of 'tear'). The phrase 'very bad experience' is quite generic. To improve, try to use more precise adjectives and ensure you are using the correct forms of verbs. The vocabulary is sufficient for the task but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, but there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'it was arrived' (passive voice error; should be 'it arrived'), 'the short got torned' (should be 'the shorts tore' or 'were torn'), and 'for such high price' (missing article 'a'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve your accuracy.

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

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