Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-14

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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about my recent purchase from your app. I brought some bedsheets and dresses from your app on May 10, 2026 at 10pm.

To begin with, I received my parcel late, while app show me a refund of $5 which I never got.

The clothes are of wrong size and quality is also cheap. I ordered king size sheets but I got queen size set. Even though, color is different.

Other than that, clothes even did not fit me. I tried to contact helpline number given on your website but no one answer that. I not only need a replacement of my order but also want my refund for late delivery as soon as possible. I already mention the details of my order on the email with the my order number. if you further need more details, please contact my given phone number. I hope you urgently address my issue.

Thankyou.

With Regards,

Navjeet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. They provide specific details of the purchase, stating they bought bedsheets and dresses on May 10, 2026, at 10pm. The problem is clearly described, noting that the items were the wrong size, of cheap quality, had the wrong color, and that the delivery was late. Furthermore, the need for a replacement and a refund is explicitly explained. The tone of the letter is appropriately formal and direct for a complaint. Because all parts of the task are well addressed and supported with relevant details, the response fulfills the Band 6 descriptors comfortably and pushes towards Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows standard letter-writing conventions, starting with the appropriate greeting and ending with a sign-off. Logical connectors such as 'To begin with' and 'Other than that' are used to structure the points, although paragraphing is somewhat underdeveloped, as most of the body of the letter is clustered into a single dense paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, though minor cohesive slips occur. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the purchase details to the problems encountered, and finally to the requested resolution.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully conveying the intended meaning with terms like 'purchase', 'replacement', 'refund', and 'helpline'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'brought' instead of 'bought', 'app show me' instead of 'app showed me', and describing the quality as 'cheap' rather than 'of poor quality'. There are also spelling and word-form issues. Despite these inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, placing the response solidly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Even though, color is different' and 'I tried to contact helpline number given on your website but no one answer that.' Grammatical errors are present throughout, including tense inconsistencies ('app show me', 'no one answer', 'I already mention'), missing articles ('color is different', 'on the email'), and incorrect prepositions. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear throughout the letter, which aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

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

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