Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02

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 or Madam,

I writing to express my issue with the recent order I placed at Amazon.com. The item I selected was a full sleeve white shirt. The order was placed for deliver at May 1st 2025 and the name for the order was Marry Jack to be specific.

The shipment was quite fast and I really appreciate the service. Unfortunately, The size of the product was wrong. Even though I placed the order for XL size , The specific item I received is M size. Also the buttons are seems different then the photo shown on the website. The size specially makes the garment impossible to be worn.

I did this shopping specifically to attend a wedding ceremony at the end of May. As the date of the event is coming soon, I need the replacement of the dress as soon as possible to avoid any inconvenience. I really appreciate your attention in this matter. I am looking forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

Marry Jack

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided the purchase details (full sleeve white shirt, order date), described the problems (wrong size and incorrect buttons), and explained the urgency (wedding ceremony). The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. To reach a higher band, ensure that the details provided are slightly more elaborated; for instance, you could have included an order number or specific reference to the website's product description to make the complaint more professional and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'Also', and 'As the date of the event is coming soon'. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect your sentences more fluidly, as some transitions currently feel a bit mechanical or repetitive.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'express my issue', 'impossible to be worn', and 'prompt reply' are functional and appropriate. However, there are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'buttons are seems different' (should be 'buttons seem different') and 'I did this shopping' (a more natural phrasing would be 'I made this purchase'). Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations related to retail and customer service would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'I writing to express' should be 'I am writing to express', and 'placed for deliver at May 1st' should be 'placed for delivery on May 1st'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and capitalization errors, such as 'The size' in the middle of a sentence. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tenses will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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