Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27

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 Manager,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to raise a concern regarding the clothing that I bought from your store last week. I have purchased a dress for my graduation but i haven't realized there was a stitching issue in the dress. It is clearly visible. My graduation is next Friday so i need an urgent replacement. I hope you will understand my situation.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,

Samantha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 81 words long. While you have addressed all three bullet points—providing purchase details, describing the stitching issue, and explaining the urgency of the graduation—the development of these points is severely limited. The letter lacks the necessary detail and formal expansion expected in an IELTS task. To improve, you must elaborate on the purchase (e.g., order number, date, specific item name) and provide a more comprehensive explanation of the problem and the urgency to reach the required length and depth.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear beginning, middle, and end. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is contained within a single, short paragraph. While the progression of ideas is clear, the lack of length prevents the use of a wider range of cohesive devices. To achieve a higher band, you should use more varied linking words and transition phrases to connect your sentences more fluidly and structure your letter into distinct paragraphs for each point.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is functional and appropriate for the context, such as 'raise a concern' and 'stitching issue'. However, the range is quite limited, and there is little evidence of less common or more sophisticated vocabulary. The language is repetitive and basic. To improve, you should incorporate more precise descriptive language related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'rectify', 'expedite', or 'unsatisfactory condition', to demonstrate a broader lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited use of complex sentences. There are some grammatical errors, such as the failure to capitalize 'i' and the tense inconsistency in 'i haven't realized there was a stitching issue'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety in sentence structure and the presence of basic errors limit the score. To improve, focus on using a mix of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, and ensure consistent capitalization and punctuation.

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

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