Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-24
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 5.0)
Dear Sir.
My name is prabjeet kaur, your exiting customer last week, i bought some of clothes from your shop by visiting your online website . In them, one dress i selected was disappointed me when i saw it on the website it was looking soo elegant and product discription was soft cotton with original colour, but when it comes to me and i tried it on me the fabric was totally changed and colour too different i got.
Now,i want replacement on this . I want to wear it on next week . I expect you will accept my replcement and will deliver a new selected outfit to me .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the task. While you have addressed the three bullet points—giving details of the purchase, describing the problem, and explaining the need for a replacement—the ideas are underdeveloped. For instance, the description of the problem lacks specific details like an order number or date, and the explanation for the urgency is very brief. To improve, you should expand on each point with more descriptive language and relevant details to ensure the letter is fully developed and meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter lacks a clear structure and appropriate paragraphing. The ideas are presented in a somewhat disjointed manner, and there is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas smoothly. For example, the transition between describing the product and requesting a replacement is abrupt. To improve, ensure you use clear paragraph breaks for each section of the letter and incorporate linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'however' to guide the reader through your argument more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'your exiting customer' (likely meaning 'existing') and 'product discription was soft cotton'. The use of 'disappointed me' is grammatically incorrect in this context. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to shopping and complaints, such as 'defective', 'inaccurate description', or 'expedite the process'. Focus on collocations and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical form.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with article usage ('a replacement', 'the fabric'), verb tense consistency, and sentence structure. For example, 'when it comes to me' should be 'when it arrived', and 'i bought some of clothes' is incorrect. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and incorrect capitalization of 'i'. The range of structures is limited to simple sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and consistent use of articles.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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