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 hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to file a complaint about an issue with my clothes that I bought online from your website.

I have mentioned details of my purchase further. First of all, I ordered a black cotton one-piece on 15th July 2026 and my order number is 12567 according to an invoice I have received through my email. Moreover, there should be my first and last name as Arti Patel in your record.

Actually there are two main problems with the outfit which is why I am unsatisfied with the order. To begin with, size of garment is really small compared to mentioned measurements on the website. In addition, it is also damaged from the shoulder which is very visible at a first glance.

I bought this dress for my cousins' engagement ceremony which is organized next week. Therefore I kindly request a replacement of my dress as soon as possible.

Hoping to hear for your prompt response.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Arti

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You provided clear purchase details, including the date and order number, described the specific problems with the garment (size and damage), and explained the urgency regarding the upcoming engagement ceremony. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and the purpose is clear throughout. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the desired outcome, such as specifying whether you expect a refund or a direct exchange, which would further develop the ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use transition signals such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'To begin with', and 'In addition' to guide the reader. While the flow is generally good, some of the cohesive devices are slightly mechanical. For instance, 'I have mentioned details of my purchase further' is a bit awkward as a transition. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall flow and coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'invoice', 'garment', and 'prompt response'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'my clothes that I bought' could be more precisely phrased as 'the item I purchased'. Additionally, 'visible at a first glance' is slightly unnatural; 'immediately apparent' or 'clearly visible' would be more idiomatic. Expanding your range to include more precise descriptive adjectives and formal business collocations would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and the meaning is consistently clear. There are some minor grammatical errors, such as 'size of garment is really small' (missing an article: 'the size of the garment') and 'hear for your prompt response' (preposition error: 'hear from'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading of articles and prepositions. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or conditional sentences, while maintaining accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.