Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing regarding the replacement of a piece of cloth I had recently purchased from your website. Last Wednesday, I bought a brown trouser with white horizontal lines laterally.

The parcel was delivered a day ago and when out of curiosity i had opened a package I realize that you had delivered me a wrong item. I received a maroon colour of piece instead of brown one. Moreover, with deep inspection I realize that some parts of white lines were already faded.

I have been planning to go on a vacation next week. Therefore, I needed this new trouser which can give an elegant and attractive look with a same colour of jacket. Since, all my reservation is done I request you to provide me an urgent replacement so, I could enjoy my vacation without worrying much.

Thank you so. much for your time and consideration. I will wait to know expected replacement date.

Yours faithfully,

Riya

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 issues with the item (wrong color and faded lines), and explained the urgency of the replacement due to your upcoming vacation. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are precise; for example, 'a piece of cloth' is vague, whereas 'a pair of trousers' is more accurate. Overall, the task is fully covered with a clear purpose and logical development of ideas.

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 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'Since' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by minor mechanical errors, such as the awkward phrasing in 'when out of curiosity i had opened a package'. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the description of the problem and the request for a replacement could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'replacement', 'curiosity', and 'consideration'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'a brown trouser' (should be 'a pair of brown trousers') and 'maroon colour of piece' (should be 'maroon-colored item'). These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a need for more attention to natural English collocations. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise descriptive adjectives would help elevate your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('I realize' instead of 'I realized') and article usage ('a brown trouser'). Additionally, punctuation is inconsistent, such as the unnecessary period in 'Thank you so. much'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, focus on consistent verb tense usage and proofreading for basic grammatical slips.

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

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