Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-15

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/ Madam,

I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing to express my disappointment on my recent purchase of a jeans which I bought on your online store.

I purchased a black color jeans on january 11 through your online app. The order number is 78683. I paid 45$ including taxes and I also recieved a gift vouvcher of 20% off on my next shopping which was main reason why I shopped online.

However, I regret to inform you that when I recived the parcel it appeared in a very poor condition. The outer box was opened from one side. Additionally, when I opened the box I saw that they sent me a blue color jeans that too it was bigger in size. Furthermore, that jeans was tored from the back side and was overall in a very bad condition.

I ordered the jeans as i have an important functioned scheduled in the second week of February. I am planning to wear that same jeans as it matches the theme of the function I am going to attend. So I urge you to sent me a replacement as soon as possible so I can use it without having any further inconvenience.

I hope that my concern will be listened and my request would be taken in to consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Sankalp Diwate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided the purchase details (order number, date, price), clearly described the problems (wrong color, incorrect size, damaged item), and explained the urgency of the replacement due to an upcoming function. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are presented with complete accuracy, as minor inconsistencies in the narrative can slightly affect the overall professional tone.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a formal closing. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' to connect your ideas. While the progression is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. To improve, try to vary your linking words further and ensure that the flow between sentences feels more natural rather than relying on a standard list of connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You used terms like 'disappointment', 'replacement', and 'inconvenience' effectively. However, there are some spelling errors ('recived' instead of 'received', 'vouvcher' instead of 'voucher', 'tored' instead of 'torn') and minor collocation issues (e.g., 'a jeans' should be 'a pair of jeans'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for common spelling mistakes and learning the correct pluralization of clothing items will help improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'on my recent purchase of a jeans' (should be 'of a pair of jeans'), 'that too it was bigger' (awkward phrasing), and 'sent me a replacement' (should be 'send'). Additionally, there are some punctuation and capitalization errors, such as 'january' (should be 'January'). The errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your complaint. Increasing your control over verb tenses and article usage will strengthen this area.

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

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