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, Thompson

I hope you are doing great

I am writing this email for urgently replacement of cotton jacket, which I bought online through your website. However, before ordering this jacket from your website, I did a lot of search on other platforms, also I went in-person in many locations, but my friend told me about your company and quality providing by you. Furthermore, I was very excited on the time of delivery day.

On the other hand, when I got parcel and I opened that the color of that jacket was totally different from what I choose. I ordered Black color on website, although I got dark blue. Moreover, I am just requesting you that please replace this jacket color with black as soon as possible. There is school function after three days. I do not have enough time to wait.

Thank you for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing from you.

Kuljeet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the purchase details, the problem, and the reason for urgency. However, the development of these points is somewhat uneven. The introduction includes irrelevant information about the search process and in-person visits, which detracts from the focus of the letter. The description of the problem is clear, but the tone is slightly informal for a formal complaint. To improve, ensure that every sentence directly serves the purpose of the letter. The urgency is clearly stated, which helps meet the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'On the other hand' to introduce the problem, which is not the most appropriate transition here. The flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the first paragraph where the transition from the purchase to the search process feels abrupt. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be understood clearly. There are some instances of unnatural phrasing, such as 'quality providing by you' and 'I did a lot of search'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic terms like 'get' and 'choose'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise collocations and formal business terminology, such as 'requesting a replacement' or 'discrepancy in the order', rather than relying on conversational language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing this email for urgently replacement' (should be 'for an urgent replacement') and 'color of that jacket was totally different from what I choose' (should be 'what I chose'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly in the salutation and the closing. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the core message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing.

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

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