Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-16

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 or Madam,

hope you are doing well,

I am writing this letter to inform you that i bought some cloths online from your store which i am not satisfy with that purchase. Firstly, i give you details of my purchase, I buy some shirts, pants, and some small cloths like underwear and shorts. Secondly, my problem is with clothing texture or the quality of cloths are not satisfied me because after the first wash all cloths are colourless and now those cloths are not good to wear. Lastly, i need a replacement urgently because next week i want to attend a marriage and i want looking good at marriage. Its a request that replace those cloths with the good quality cloths, as soon as possible. Also i know your store is good i always buy cloths from your store, may be i think this is a staff mistake or something.

I am waiting to your response as soon as possible

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: providing purchase details, describing the quality issue, and explaining the urgency of the replacement. However, the development of these points is somewhat basic. For instance, the description of the purchase is quite generic, and the explanation of the problem lacks specific details like order numbers or dates, which would be expected in a formal letter. The tone is also inconsistent; while it attempts to be professional, the phrasing is often informal or grammatically awkward, which slightly undermines the clarity of the request. To improve, ensure that the letter follows a standard formal structure and provides more specific, concrete information to support the claims made.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into a single block of text, which lacks proper paragraphing. While the student uses transition words like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Lastly', these are used in a somewhat mechanical way that does not fully compensate for the lack of clear paragraph breaks. The flow of ideas is logical, but the overall structure feels rushed and lacks the formal layout expected in a business letter. To improve, you should separate the introduction, the body paragraphs (one for the problem, one for the request), and the closing into distinct paragraphs to enhance readability and professional presentation.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'colourless' instead of 'faded' or 'discoloured', and 'cloths' (which refers to pieces of fabric) instead of 'clothes' or 'garments'. The phrase 'not satisfied with that purchase' is used correctly, but the overall range is narrow. The student struggles to express specific complaints with precision, relying on simple descriptors. To reach a higher band, focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to retail, such as 'defective', 'inferior quality', 'refund', or 'exchange', and ensure the correct usage of nouns like 'clothing' versus 'clothes'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('i buy' instead of 'I bought'), incorrect verb tenses ('i want looking good'), and punctuation errors (missing capitalization for 'I'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction hinders the flow and professional tone of the letter. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structure, consistent verb tenses, and proper capitalization, as these are essential for clear communication in formal writing.

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

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