Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-31

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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to Amazon for a defective purchase which caused me problem this past week.

Since, The World Cup is starting in two weeks time and being an Argentine fan, I ordered Adidas blue colour pair of track suit. It is a limited edition item for which I paid 300 Dollars without any discount. The track suit comes under the prime 30 days replacement or refund.

The problem I am having with the product is it got shrunk. After wearing it for almost 2 days, I put the track suit in for laundry. Before washing it in the machine, I do checked the instructions for laundry on the track suit. Still after following the instructions I am dissatisfied with the product.

I would either like be refunded or get the product replaced in two weeks time. Urgency of this replacement is The World Cup for which I ordered the product for, otherwise it would not serve any purpose if delayed.

kind Regards,

Harman.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: purchase details, the problem, and the need for an urgent replacement. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint. However, the development of ideas is slightly limited. For example, while you mention the track suit shrunk, you could have provided more specific details about the extent of the damage or the specific washing conditions to make the complaint more persuasive. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the requirements of the prompt are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each addressing a specific requirement of the task. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic. Transitions between sentences are occasionally abrupt, such as the start of the second paragraph. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'as a result') would improve the flow and help connect your ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'defective purchase', 'limited edition', and 'refund'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'caused me problem' (should be 'caused me problems') and 'do checked' (should be 'did check'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and ensure that collocations are natural. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'Since, The World Cup...' (incorrect punctuation and capitalization), 'I do checked' (incorrect verb tense), and 'I would either like be refunded' (missing 'to'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage, and ensuring that auxiliary verbs are used correctly in passive constructions.

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

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