Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

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 to let you know that I have recently made a purchase from your website online and I am not fully satisfied with the product I received. I ordered a pair of jeans and a few home decor items.

Let me explain my situation. The jeans I ordered was a medium size but I received a smaller size, and it does not fit me properly. Additionally the quality of the jeans is also not up to the mark. I always look for the reviews and the pictures of the products posted by other customers prior to making a purchase. However, this time despite looking at the images, the product I received was not great in quality.

I would like to request a replacement of the jeans as I have ordered it for a special occasion. I'm supposed to be attending na event and I was planning on wearing those jeans.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Rachna.

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 issue with the size and quality of the jeans, and explained the urgency regarding the upcoming event. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To improve, you could provide more specific details about the purchase, such as an order number or the date of purchase, to make the letter feel more authentic and professional. Overall, the response is well-structured and covers all requirements effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'However' to link your sentences. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the transition between the description of the problem and the request for a replacement is smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'purchase', 'satisfied', and 'consideration' correctly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'not up to the mark' and 'not great in quality' are acceptable but could be more precise. To improve, try to use more sophisticated collocations or descriptive adjectives to convey your dissatisfaction more effectively. For example, instead of saying the quality is 'not great', you could describe it as 'substandard' or 'disappointing'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are a few grammatical errors, such as 'The jeans I ordered was a medium size' (should be 'were') and 'I have ordered it' (should be 'ordered them' to agree with 'jeans'). Additionally, there is a minor typo: 'na event' instead of 'an event'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, especially with plural nouns like 'jeans', and proofread carefully to eliminate small slips.

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

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