Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. First of all, I buy most of the things online from your company. Last week, I also order crop top via your firm. Moreover, I got the delivery on time which was the good thing but when I tried that attire it was totally different from the picture.

On the other hand, the main problem is thin material of the cloth. My parents and me both were dissatisfied with this purchase. Therefore, I need a replacement as soon as possible because I buy this top for my convocation and this ceremony coming in next week. So, I request you to replace this urgently. I am waiting for your reply as well as for the replacement.

Thank you for the understanding and your support.

I hope you resolve this issue immedietly.

Best regard,

Riya Patel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation regarding the convocation is clear, but the overall development is somewhat brief. To improve, you should expand on the specific details of the purchase (e.g., order number, date) and provide a more formal tone suitable for a complaint letter to a company. The under-length penalty is applied here as the response is 142 words.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, and the progression of ideas is generally clear. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Therefore'. However, the transitions can feel a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing is slightly disjointed. The flow between the description of the problem and the request for a replacement is logical, but the overall structure would benefit from more sophisticated linking words to connect the sentences more fluidly. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the tone shifts slightly between informal and formal.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic terms like 'things', 'good thing', and 'cloth'. While you successfully communicate the message, there is little evidence of less common or more precise vocabulary. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'attire' (which is slightly misused in this context) and 'immedietly' (spelling error). To reach a higher band, focus on using more specific terminology related to retail and customer service, such as 'garment', 'discrepancy', or 'expedited'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses and articles. For example, 'I buy most of the things' should be 'I usually buy', and 'I also order' should be 'I also ordered'. The sentence 'My parents and me both were' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'My parents and I'. While you attempt some complex structures, the frequent errors in basic tense consistency and subject-verb agreement hinder the overall accuracy. Increasing the variety of sentence structures while ensuring grammatical precision is essential for improvement.

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.