Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

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 Madam,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing in context of the clothes that I bought last week from your website. My parcel number was AS[redacted phone]. Today I received my parcel and I was very excited to open my clothes. I have ordered two dresses, one jean pant, and one beautiful top.

But I was so disappointed and shocked when I opened that parcel. Because I did not received what I expected. I have ordered the XS size of my dresses and I got XL. Also, I received different color of my top. I am very sad right now because these things did not happen before to me.

And, important thing is I do need these for next week as I am going to my brother's birthday party. I am requesting you to replace these items as soon as possible. I had not expected this mistake from your clothing brand because I trust you very much.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Avneet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: it provides purchase details (parcel number), describes the specific problems (incorrect size and color), and explains the urgency (brother's birthday). The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint, although it occasionally leans towards being overly emotive (e.g., 'shocked', 'very sad'). The purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the reader is left in no doubt about what the writer requires. To reach a higher band, the writer could provide more specific details about the items, such as the brand or specific product names, to add further clarity to the complaint.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct part of the task. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the purchase details to the problem and finally the requested solution. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the frequent use of 'I' at the start of sentences makes the flow feel a bit mechanical. Using a wider variety of linking words or phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'Given that') would improve the flow and help the letter sound more professional and cohesive.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate the situation effectively. There are some basic errors in word choice, such as 'jean pant' (which should be 'jeans' or 'a pair of jeans') and 'did not received' (which is a grammatical error, but also impacts lexical precision). While the vocabulary is functional, it lacks the range and sophistication required for higher bands. The writer relies on simple, repetitive descriptors like 'very excited' and 'very sad'. Incorporating more precise terminology related to retail and customer service would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several recurring grammatical errors that hinder the accuracy of the text. Specifically, there are issues with verb tense and form, such as 'I did not received' (should be 'receive') and 'these things did not happen before to me' (which is awkward phrasing). Additionally, the use of articles and plurals is inconsistent. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would significantly improve the accuracy.

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

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