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/Madam,

The purpose of my email is to brought my concern into your attention. I would like to express my concern regarding the cloths I have purchased online from your website.

Given, the pants I have ordered, I have experienced that pants were very short from that measurement that was shown on the website. Despite the reviews and calls, the matter remains unresolved, which has caused frustration and also it delays my packing as I need this pants to wear in my conferences in Dubai so I need to pack it in my luggage and I have leave tomorrow.

I would be greatly appreciated if you could send me Lager size of the same measurement as shown on the website as soon as possible. I believe this is a reasonable solution, considering my flight. I would also suggest if you could reply to this mail informing me what next you will be able to do for me.

Thank you for you time and attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me if you need further information or wish to discuss this in more detail. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Anne

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. However, the details provided are somewhat vague. For instance, you mention 'the pants' but do not provide an order number, date of purchase, or specific product name, which makes the complaint less effective. The explanation for the urgency is clear, though the tone is slightly informal in places. To improve, ensure you include specific identifiers (like an order reference) to make the request more professional and actionable for the company.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an appropriate opening and closing. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Given, the pants I have ordered' and 'I would also suggest if you could reply'. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect your points more naturally rather than relying on simple sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several errors in word choice and spelling that detract from the professional tone. Examples include 'brought my concern into your attention' (should be 'to'), 'cloths' (should be 'clothes'), and 'Lager size' (should be 'larger'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring correct spelling of common business-related terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several grammatical errors, such as 'I have experienced that pants were very short from that measurement' and 'I have leave tomorrow' (should be 'I am leaving'). Additionally, there are issues with verb tense consistency and preposition usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors limits the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct tense usage will significantly improve your writing.

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

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