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 am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction about the quality and design of a jacket which I recently ordered from your store website.

I had ordered a denim jacket on Saturday 25th June and have received it on 30th June. The order number for this purchase is 98798.

The material on the website stated it as denim however, when it is made of polyester. Also, the design does not resemble to the picture that was worn by model online. It had small flowers on the left side of the pocket but the piece I have received has nothing on it.

As I am going on a trip next week, I had considered this on my outfit list for my photoshoot. I would like you to replace it urgently because I had bought all accessories and shoes keeping this jacket in my mind. This is the key part of my shoot.

I hope you to resolve this matter urgently.

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

Krupa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided the purchase details (order number and dates), clearly described the issues with the material and design, and explained the urgency regarding your upcoming trip and photoshoot. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands the nature of the problem and the necessity for a quick resolution. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opening and closing are fully integrated into the flow of the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Also' and 'As I am', though the range of linking words is somewhat limited. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. To improve, try to use a wider variety of cohesive devices to connect your sentences more fluidly, as some transitions feel slightly mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dissatisfaction', 'resemble', and 'accessories' correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'stated it as denim' (should be 'described it as denim') and 'keeping this jacket in my mind' (should be 'with this jacket in mind'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the use of vocabulary from being considered sophisticated or highly precise. Expanding your range of collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I had ordered... and have received it' (tense inconsistency), 'when it is made of polyester' (incorrect conjunction usage), and 'I hope you to resolve' (incorrect verb pattern; should be 'I hope you will resolve'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the meaning from being clear. To improve, focus on consistent tense usage and common verb patterns in formal English.

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

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