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,

I am writing this email regarding the clothes purchases that i did last week on Monday, 24 August. I want to replace my jeans and shirt because both are not fit to me.

Firstly, The pink shirt is very long and i want to order it in XXS size. Secondly, My jeans is not proper blue color as well as not fit to me. I need royal blue color exactly same in the picture and number 4 size. Moreover, The button on my jeans is missing that's why i cannot keep it. I am very dissatisfied with the order i received, it was totally unexpected from your company.

I will really appreciate it if you can deliver my order in express shipping, otherwise my trip will be ruined as i planned it on the weekend due to my friends availability.

I look forward to hearing from you soon and hope that this matter can be resolved promptly.

Yours faithfully,

Manpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: details of the purchase, the specific problems with the items, and the reason for needing an urgent replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. While the problems are listed, the explanation of the urgency could be more effectively linked to the company's responsibility rather than just the writer's personal trip. Overall, the task is fully addressed, but the depth of the content is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for the issues, and a concluding request. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader, although these transitions are somewhat mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to create a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'not fit to me' and 'not proper blue color' are repetitive and slightly unnatural. There is an attempt to use specific terms like 'dissatisfied' and 'promptly', which is positive. However, the range is limited, and the word choices often rely on simple structures. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on more precise collocations related to retail and customer service complaints.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentences, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'clothes purchases that i did' (incorrect verb choice), 'both are not fit to me' (should be 'do not fit me'), and 'My jeans is' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, capitalization errors (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I') occur throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score in this category.

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

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