Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-20

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 6.0)

Dear sir,

How are you? Hope you are well.

I am writing this mail to highlight an issue that I faced while buying a shirt from your store.

I chose your store because you have a very good reputation in the market and your brand name is very famous but unfortunately I was really disappointed by the quality and stitching of the shirt.

I am providing you the details of the product which I bought.

The shirt is blue in color and the size is large.

As I have mentioned that quality and stitching of the shirt is really bad. So I request you to provide me a replacement of the product and do it urgently as I have to wear this shirt in my interview which will be commenced next week.

Therefore I request you to personally look into this matter and solve my problem at earliest.

Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: providing purchase details, describing the problem, and explaining the urgency. However, the development is somewhat thin. For instance, the 'details of the purchase' are limited to color and size, lacking an order number or date, which would be expected in a formal complaint. The tone is generally appropriate, though the opening 'How are you? Hope you are well' is too informal for a complaint letter to a company. To reach a higher band, ensure that the information provided is specific enough to be functional in a real-world scenario.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into short, distinct paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the message. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and mechanical. Phrases like 'As I have mentioned' and 'Therefore' are used, but the flow between sentences feels a bit disjointed. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that connects logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'very good reputation', 'very famous', and 'really bad' are repetitive and lack the precision expected at higher levels. While the meaning is always clear, there is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more descriptive adjectives and formal business collocations that convey dissatisfaction more professionally without relying on simple intensifiers like 'very' or 'really'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing this mail to highlight an issue that I faced while buying a shirt' (the phrasing is slightly awkward) and 'solve my problem at earliest' (missing the article 'the'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure lacks variety. While the errors do not impede communication, the range of structures is limited, preventing a higher score. Focus on varying sentence length and ensuring articles and prepositions are used correctly.

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

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