Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23

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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction with your products which I got online from your official website last week. I purchased clothes worth $ 500 which includes a formal shirt , pent , a denim jeans and some shirts and tops which was looking really premium in quality so I decided to buy it.

I pickled size M ,but got XL which is quite big for me. Although I am impressed with the quality , but I selected blue color shirt and black pent which is not similar to the one I got.

I would appreciate if you replace these pieces of clothes before this Monday because I have a corporate event and I bought these clothes specially for that event . Because of my busy schedule I do not have enough time to explore offline stores and I always bought attries from your website .

I am looking forwards to your response.

Yours Faithfully

Aman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. However, the development of these points is somewhat uneven. While the purchase details and the problem are clear, the explanation for the urgency is a bit repetitive. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint, though it occasionally slips into informal phrasing. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation of the problem is more precise and that the tone remains consistently professional throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the different requirements of the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and occasionally repetitive (e.g., the frequent use of 'and' and 'because'). Some transitions between sentences feel a bit mechanical. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect ideas more fluidly, such as 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'as a result of this error.'

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'pickled' instead of 'picked,' 'pent' instead of 'pants,' and 'attries' instead of 'attire.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the range of vocabulary displayed. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise terminology related to retail and customer service, and ensure that spelling is accurate, especially for common nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('which was looking' should be 'which were looking') and tense inconsistencies ('I always bought' should be 'I have always bought'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To improve, focus on consistent verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, and try to incorporate more complex sentence structures with greater accuracy.

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

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