Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-10

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 dissatisfaction on certain shirts that I bought on your shop recently online.

I bought 5 pieces shirt, and the sizes are large through your website. Apparently, upon delivering by the courrier, I opened the box and I was disappointed with the items. There are 5 T-shirts in the box but 2 of them are small. I cannot use those 2 small shirts because it can't fit it into my large body. The delivery man told me to contact the manager for the arrangement of this certain matter.

I would appreciate it if you could settle this matter as fast as you can. I am going out of the country this coming Sunday, September 30. I need an immediate replacement for the shirts that was wrongfully delivered to me. If you have any further question or updates, please contact me in this number [redacted phone]. I attached the receipt at the back.

Sincerely yours,

Vergel Lozano

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly stated the purchase details, described the sizing error, and provided a logical reason for the urgency of the replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To reach a higher band, ensure that the development of ideas is slightly more formal; for instance, instead of saying 'large body', you could explain that the items were 'incorrectly sized' or 'did not match the ordered specifications'. Overall, the task is fully accomplished.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the introduction to the problem, and finally to the requested solution. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate these distinct ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Apparently' and 'If you have any further question', which help the flow. However, the transition between the delivery man's advice and your request for a replacement could be smoother. Using more varied linking words or phrases would improve the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your meaning clearly. Phrases like 'express my dissatisfaction' and 'wrongfully delivered' are appropriate for this task. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'large through your website' (which should be 'size large') and 'on your shop' (which should be 'from your shop'). Expanding your range to include more precise business terminology would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentences. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as '5 pieces shirt' (should be '5 shirts'), 'can't fit it into my large body' (should be 'do not fit me'), and 'contact me in this number' (should be 'at this number'). These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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