Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25

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,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this email to let you know a few problems about the online clothes, which I have ordered last week and I have received two days ago.

At first, Last week I was scrolling down your online platform. I found several costumes, which were so nice and decent when I look first in the picture. Then, after reviewing many shirts and pants, I order two pairs of formal clothes for my daily office work. When I received those pairs it was totally different such as, the colour of my shirts, the shades of my pants, and one of my shirts does not even have collar.

Furthermore, I have placed my order last week, it was showing on your website that it will deliver next day, however I got them two days ago, in the meantime I have tried to call you, nobody was answering. Now, instead of getting refund I want replacement as I have my office seminar next week.

I would highly appreciate if i get my attire in this week. Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Jaimin Padhiyar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the nature of the problem, and the urgency of the replacement. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the clothing issues is a bit repetitive and lacks specific detail regarding the order number or specific product names, which would be expected in a real-world scenario. The request for a replacement is clear, but the explanation for the urgency could be more persuasive. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but it lacks the depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the purchase to the problem and finally the desired resolution. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore' and 'however', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or forced. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences in the second paragraph is slightly disjointed due to the repetitive structure of the sentences. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'scrolling down your online platform' and 'so nice and decent' are functional but lack the precision expected at higher levels. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as using 'costumes' when referring to 'formal clothes' or 'outfits'. The student attempts to use some descriptive language, but it is often repetitive. To improve, the student should focus on using more specific terminology related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'discrepancy', or 'expedited'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and articles, such as 'I have ordered last week' (should be 'I ordered') and 'I get my attire' (should be 'I receive my attire'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though there are some issues with comma usage and capitalization (e.g., 'Dear sir'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on consistent tense usage and subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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

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