Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Shubham Savaliya. I am writing this letter to request a replacement of the shirts that were brought recently from your company.

I purchased one blue-colored cotton shirt from your company two days ago. It was looking nice; that's why I decided to buy this short from your company website. The cost of this shirt was very reasonable.

Unfortunately, when I received that shirt, I found that it was damaged. So, I thought that I had to return it to your company because it was not wearable, and your company has mentioned the replacement policy.

I need to replace this shirt very urgently because I have a plan to visit abroad to attend my professional business meeting. It significantly affects my meeting. If I am not able to replace this shirt as early as possible, then there might be a chance to lose my great deal, which I want to grab at any cost.

So, I request you to replace this shirt at your earlier convenience. I am looking for your response.

Yours sincerely,

Shubham Savaliya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: providing purchase details, describing the damage, and explaining the urgency of the replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, ensuring the reader understands the situation and the desired outcome. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details, such as an order number or the specific nature of the damage (e.g., a tear or a stain), which would make the letter feel more authentic and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the task. You have used basic cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'So', and 'If', which help the flow of information. However, the progression between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your referencing is precise. For example, instead of repeating 'your company' multiple times, you could use pronouns or synonyms like 'your firm' or 'the retailer' to improve the flow and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Words like 'reasonable', 'damaged', and 'urgently' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'brought recently' (should be 'bought') and 'grab at any cost', which is slightly informal for this context. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more formal business-related terms would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'It was looking nice' (should be 'It looked nice') and 'I have a plan to visit abroad' (should be 'I am planning to travel abroad'). Additionally, there are some minor issues with verb tense consistency. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more natural sentence construction will help you improve.

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

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