Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction on my recent purchased made from your online website. I ordered cotton t-shirt, with white colour and in medium size. I have seen many excellent reviews for this summer t-shirt and it's a present for my friend.

When I received the order via courier, I was surprised to see a big stain on the left sleeve. I was looking for a comfortable white t-shirt to wear outside in sunny weather. Furthermore, there was a small hole near the neck area.

I am traveling to Toronto next week to visit my friend. As I am gifting this t-shirt to my friend, I would therefore requesting an immediate replacement at your earliest convenience.Should you require any further information or documentation, I have enclosed the bill receipt and would be happy to assist further.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kind regards,

Jack.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: details of the purchase, the specific problems with the item, and the reason for the urgent replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The ideas are clearly presented, and the purpose of the letter is immediately evident. The response is well-structured and addresses the task requirements effectively, ensuring the reader understands the situation and the desired outcome without any ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the purchase details to the specific defects and finally the request for action. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'As I am', and 'Therefore' are used appropriately to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is sufficient and helps the reader navigate the text easily. The overall flow is natural and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for a formal letter. While the range is adequate, it is somewhat standard. Phrases like 'express my dissatisfaction' and 'earliest convenience' are good examples of formal register. There are minor errors in word choice, such as 'recent purchased' (should be 'recent purchase') and 'white colour' (which is slightly redundant). However, these do not impede communication, and the student demonstrates a sufficient range to convey their message clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I would therefore requesting' (should be 'I would therefore request' or 'I am therefore requesting') and 'on my recent purchased' (should be 'with my recent purchase'). Despite these occasional errors, the meaning is always clear, and the majority of the sentences are error-free. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the control of grammar is sufficient to maintain a formal tone throughout the letter.

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

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