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 hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to express my disappointment with the piece of attire which I purchased from your online shop last month.

Last month, I decided to bought a blue color and medium size gown from your digital website because I wanted to ware it on my brother's birthday. Additionally, I didn't have much time for physical shopping, so it would be convenient for me to purchase my favourite gown from your website after scrolling reviews and various types of gowns. Therefore, within a short time, I placed my order and after payment I got confirmation text message of my order about getting it within a five days.

During unboxing, I was dishearten by the product because the color of gown was totally different and it has several cuts on both sleeves of gown. Additionally, when I wore it for trial, it didn't suits on me. Therefore, I was feeling sorrowful and decided to put my complain and request you for replacement of refund.

However, I need replacement of this gown, because I don't have much time because my professional and family responsibilities makes me quite busy. Hence, I will appreciate it if you could provide me fresh and standard quality blue color gown soon. It will allows me to dress-up in my favourite cloths on my brother's birthday.

I hope you consider my request and help me to overcome my problems soon. I look forward to your prompt response in this matter.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Twinkle

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: providing purchase details, describing the defects, and explaining the urgency of the replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the explanation of why you need the replacement urgently. To reach a higher band, ensure that the information provided is concise and directly relevant to the prompt, avoiding unnecessary filler sentences about your daily schedule. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Additionally,' 'Therefore,' and 'However' to link your ideas. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the use of 'Additionally' and 'Therefore' appears frequently. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression between sentences is smoother. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the introduction, the description of the problem, the request for action, and the closing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'unboxing,' 'replacement,' and 'confirmation.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'piece of attire' (which sounds slightly unnatural in this context), 'digital website' (redundant), and 'put my complain' (should be 'make a complaint'). There are also minor errors in word forms, such as 'dishearten' instead of 'disheartened.' Expanding your range of collocations and ensuring precise word usage would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'decided to bought' (should be 'decided to buy'), 'ware it' (should be 'wear it'), 'it didn't suits on me' (should be 'it didn't suit me'), and 'it will allows me' (should be 'it will allow me'). These errors occur frequently but do not impede the overall communication of your message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and correct verb forms after infinitives.

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

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