Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-18

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,

i am writing this letter regarding my recent purchase at your store located in New Delhi. I bought a skirt of the Muji brand. It cost $110 to me. I spent my saving to buy this ,so its my dream skirt. I tried it at the store at that time. It fit perfectly. But when I brought at home, what I saw that it had a big patch on the back side. It looks odd. I cannot wear this. I bought this to wear at a special occasion. My friend's birthday is coming in two days. I

So I wanted to return this as soon as possible. If you have the same piece of this then I want that one.

I am looking for your response.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all three bullet points: providing purchase details, describing the defect, and explaining the urgency. However, the letter is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint, but the brevity prevents a fully professional and persuasive tone. To improve, you should expand on the details of the purchase and provide a more formal closing statement to ensure the letter meets the length requirement and demonstrates a more comprehensive response to the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short, simple paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited. The sentences are mostly simple and lack logical connectors (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'therefore') to link ideas smoothly. The abrupt ending and the incomplete sentence ('My friend's birthday is coming in two days. I') significantly disrupt the flow and coherence of the text. Improving the use of transition words and ensuring all sentences are complete will greatly enhance the logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is functional but basic. You use simple terms like 'big patch', 'odd', and 'same piece', which are sufficient for communication but lack the precision expected at higher bands. There is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated vocabulary related to retail or customer service. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise terminology such as 'defective', 'replacement', 'inconvenience', or 'resolution'. Additionally, ensure that your word choices are consistently formal, as 'dream skirt' is slightly too informal for this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I bought at home, what I saw that it had' and 'I spent my saving to buy this', which indicate issues with article usage, verb tense, and sentence construction. The punctuation is also inconsistent, and there is an incomplete sentence at the end of the second paragraph. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and missing articles. Incorporating a few complex sentences would also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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

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