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 or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter express my concern about products that bought from your online site and do not like the quality.

I have heard a positive reviews from my friend and that was the reason I shopped online from your site. I purchased dresses and Tops which were on discount for my summer trip. I was really excited for those items as those were looking very pretty in pictures. Once I received my order, I checked those and realize that the quality of the material is very poor. I was expecting cotton based cloths as it was mentioned in your product details but unfortunately, they are not. Moreover,I need to exchange it as soon as possible because I chose my cloths according to places. I have spent money and time both so that I can get good products from your site. It would be appreciated if you can replace it before next week.

Thank you for your understanding and time. I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Rutu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: providing purchase details, describing the quality issue, and explaining the urgency of the replacement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention the quality is poor, providing more specific details about the defects (e.g., loose stitching or incorrect fabric texture) would have strengthened the response. Additionally, the explanation for the urgency is slightly vague; clarifying that the trip is imminent would make the request more persuasive. Overall, the task is fulfilled, but the content could be more detailed to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure, beginning with the purpose of the email, moving to the problem, and concluding with the request. Paragraphing is used, though the body paragraph is quite dense. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Once I received', which help the flow. However, the transition between ideas could be smoother. For example, the jump from describing the clothes to explaining the need for an exchange is a bit abrupt. Improving the use of linking phrases to connect your disappointment with the specific request for a replacement would enhance the overall coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'quality of the material', 'product details', and 'prompt response'. There are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'cloths' instead of 'clothes' and 'I have heard a positive reviews' (should be 'I have heard positive reviews'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more specific adjectives to describe the clothing or the nature of the dissatisfaction, and ensure consistent use of correct word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I am writing this letter express' (missing 'to'), 'products that bought' (missing 'I'), and 'those were looking very pretty' (should be 'looked'). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as the missing space after the comma in 'Moreover,I'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that all necessary prepositions and articles are included will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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