Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
Dear Sir,
I hope you are doing well. I am writing this email to share some ideas regarding I have bought few clothes online and I am not satisfied with it.
Firstly, we should take into account the importance of online clothes, which will contribute to the overall efficiency and well-being of the people.
Also, if we consider the likelihood of clothes stuff, it is expected to have a three-fold effect for several reasons, like which I order the stuff of clothes I did not get it and clothes stuff was not good it looks so cheap and I want to return this items.
Finally, I want to replace this urgently because I want to wear that clothes on my friend birthday party.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Kind regards,
Anna
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have attempted to cover the three bullet points, the content is underdeveloped and lacks the necessary detail for a formal complaint letter. For instance, you mention the purchase but fail to provide specific details like an order number or date. The explanation for the urgency is also very brief. Furthermore, the inclusion of irrelevant, philosophical statements about the 'importance of online clothes' distracts from the purpose of the letter and does not address the prompt effectively. To improve, focus on providing specific, relevant information and expanding on each bullet point with clear, logical details.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter is divided into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical flow is weak. The second paragraph contains irrelevant information that does not connect to the purpose of the letter. The transition between the problem description and the request for a replacement is abrupt. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Also', and 'Finally', they are used mechanically and do not always link ideas effectively. The overall structure is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of your complaint. Improving the logical connection between sentences and ensuring every paragraph serves the main purpose of the letter is essential.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'clothes' and 'stuff'. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'likelihood of clothes stuff' and 'three-fold effect', which do not make sense in this context. The language used is not appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To achieve a higher band, you need to use more precise vocabulary related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'quality', 'refund', or 'exchange'. Expanding your range of vocabulary and ensuring words are used in their correct collocations will greatly improve your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'I want to return this items', and sentence structure, such as 'I am writing this email to share some ideas regarding I have bought few clothes'. The use of complex sentences is limited and often results in errors, such as the run-on sentence in the third paragraph. You should focus on mastering basic sentence structures before attempting more complex ones. Pay close attention to pluralization, article usage, and ensuring that your sentences are grammatically complete and correctly punctuated.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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