Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to lodge a complain regarding the unsatisfactory product which was bought digitally from your website. I would like a replacement for the product.

The order number is "A1234", and was placed on 25th August, i.e last Saturday. The placed order contained a white shirt, size small , and is delivered today.

The delivery box itself looked fine but after unboxing, it was seen that there is a medium sized black coloured patch on the front left side of the shirt. In my eyes, it looked like a packaging error, where an employee packed a dirty shirt by mistake.

I would request you to replace the delivered shirt with a new one on a urgent basis, as that shirt was supposed to be the part of my outfit for my upcoming family gathering scheduled in next two days, which will be 3rd September. I would really appreciate if you can look into this matter and find a solution promptly.

Yours faithfully,

Sam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You provided the order details (A1234, 25th August), described the specific problem (a black patch on the shirt), and explained the urgency (a family gathering in two days). The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the ideas are well-developed. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opening and closing salutations are consistent; you began with 'Dear Sir' but used 'Yours faithfully', which is acceptable, but ensure the tone remains professional throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the complaint to the details, the problem, and finally the requested solution. You used some cohesive devices such as 'The order number is', 'The delivery box itself', and 'as that shirt was', which help the flow of the text. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different sections of the letter. The structure is clear and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a coherent response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'lodge a complain', 'unsatisfactory product', and 'look into this matter' are appropriate for a formal letter. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'lodge a complain' (should be 'complaint') and 'digitally' (which is slightly unnatural in this context; 'online' is better). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise or sophisticated collocations would help elevate the score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response shows a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'is delivered today' (should be 'was delivered') and 'on a urgent basis' (should be 'on an urgent basis'). Additionally, 'which will be 3rd September' is a bit clunky. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the reader can easily understand the situation. You have demonstrated control over basic grammar, but more consistent accuracy in verb tenses and articles would improve the overall quality of the writing.

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

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