Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11

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/Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with online shopping experience from your company.

I purchased a couple of shirts last week online from your website under the order number SMN45678. I bought different products several times by using this website, but this time I disappointed.

I ordered two shirts in different colors, one was black and another one was red. However, I got different color instead. Upon delivering the parcel, when I opened it, it spoiled my mood.

I would appreciate it if these pieces of clothes replaced at your earliest convenience and send me the correct order, because I ordered these for an important family celebration that is talking place very soon. I kindly request, wrong items should be collected from my home without any additional charges. At the same time, I would advise a proper training should be provided to the staff in order to avoid such issues in the future.

Thank you in advance for your time and convenience, I hope my order would be replaced promptly and appropriate steps would be taken to tackle this problem in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Soni.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You provided the order number, clearly described the issue regarding the incorrect colors, and explained the urgency due to a family celebration. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint, although it occasionally veers into being slightly demanding rather than professional. To reach a higher band, ensure that the tone remains consistently polite and objective throughout. You have fully developed your ideas, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'At the same time', which help the flow of information. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition from describing the problem to requesting a replacement could be more fluid. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'express my dissatisfaction' and 'at your earliest convenience' are appropriate for this task. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I got different color instead' (should be 'I received the wrong colors') and 'this time I disappointed' (should be 'I was disappointed'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the use of vocabulary from being considered 'flexible' or 'precise' at a higher level. Expanding your range of formal expressions would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'these pieces of clothes replaced' (missing 'should be'), 'wrong items should be collected' (missing 'the'), and 'talking place' (should be 'taking place'). Additionally, some passive constructions are slightly awkward, such as 'I would advise a proper training should be provided'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice in formal requests.

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

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