Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07

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 Madam,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing formally to address the issue I have faced regarding my online shopping. Last week, I placed my order from your company app and today I received my order. The order number is XE7802 and the tracking i.d is [redacted phone]. I have purchased one suiting shirt (size small), two pairs of socks (size small), a baby pink scarf, a pair of trousers (size 28) and one T-shirt (size small and red color).

The issue is I received the wrong size and color of the T-shirt, the size I received is medium and blue color. Moreover you sent the scarf in yellow color instead of baby pink. I am very disappoint by the service this time.

Now I don't want the refund I just want you to replace above mentioned articles urgently, as I have a flight next Sunday and I purchased these for my trip. I would appreciate if you resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Zara Shaikh.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided clear purchase details, including order and tracking numbers, described the specific discrepancies in the items received, and explained the urgency of the replacement due to your upcoming trip. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the impact of the error, perhaps by mentioning the inconvenience caused, which would further develop your ideas. Overall, the task is fully addressed in a clear and professional manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the introduction of the issue to the specific details and finally the requested action. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Now' to link your points. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between the list of items and the description of the problem is smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'formally', 'discrepancies' (implied), and 'articles'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'I am very disappoint' (should be 'disappointed') and 'online shopping' (which is slightly vague; 'online order' would be more precise). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. The language is functional and appropriate for the context of a formal complaint.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I am very disappoint' instead of 'disappointed', and 'blue color' instead of 'blue in color' or 'a blue T-shirt'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage slips, such as 'the yellow color' instead of 'yellow'. Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of adjectives and nouns in descriptive phrases.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.