Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19

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 am writing this letter to express my disappointment towards the recent purchase which I had online from your company.

As per my friend recommendation, I bought a night suit from 'amazon' online website. I ordered cotton based two piece night suit in beige colour. It also has pockets in the bottom along with full sleeves of shirt in displayed pictures. I was so bummed when received my parcel. Firstly, the size was not correct as per my request. Secondly, the colour and quality was totally different as per reference. Furthermore, I was not able to fit properly due to incorrect size. Hence, it turned into frustration as I spent quite great amount of money.

I would like to request to replace my order urgently. I have plan to go for holiday on upcoming week and this

night suit is decided for one of the day on trip. I am expecting to replace it with great quality and same

product as shown in the picture. Otherwise, it will be disappointment for me

I hope you would take my suggestion into your consideration and act accordingly.

Yours Sincerely,

Arpan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided details of the purchase, described the specific problems with the item, and explained the urgency of the replacement due to your upcoming holiday. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the problem is more precise; for example, instead of saying the quality was 'totally different', you could specify if the fabric was thin, synthetic, or damaged. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'Hence' to connect your ideas. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, though the final paragraph is a bit abrupt. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the transition between your disappointment and your request for a replacement flows more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'disappointment', 'frustration', and 'consideration'. However, there are some inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'as per my friend recommendation' (should be 'on my friend's recommendation') and 'I was so bummed' (which is too informal for a formal letter). The phrase 'quite great amount of money' is also slightly unnatural. Expanding your range to include more precise adjectives and formal business collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I had online' (should be 'I made online'), 'I have plan to go' (should be 'I have a plan to go' or 'I am planning to go'), and 'this night suit is decided for one of the day' (should be 'is intended for one of the days'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.