Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-15

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 to request the solution of an issue of the product that I just bought from your online site, which led to my dissatisfaction.

I bought a t-shirt last monday which was delivered yesterday. My order number is #[redacted phone]. I was very happy by the time I ordered it because it is the t-shirt that I like too much, but when I opened the packaging and tried it on then my excitement vanished when I find a cut on t shirt just below the shoulder. I ordered it to wear it on an event of Diwali, which is going to be on the next tuesday.

In addition, I would like to request you to provide me a replacement of the t-shirt as soon as possible because I have to wear it on an event. I would be thankful to you for your this assistance.

I am looking forward to receiving a positive response. Thank you so much.

Yours faithfully,

Sukhbir.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You successfully give details of the purchase by mentioning the item (a t-shirt), the purchase date ("last monday"), the delivery date, and the order number ("#2345567"). You clearly describe the problem by explaining that you found "a cut on t shirt just below the shoulder" upon opening the package. Furthermore, you explain why a replacement is needed urgently, stating that you need to wear it for a Diwali event happening on "the next tuesday". The tone of the letter is appropriate for a formal complaint. All requirements are fully addressed with relevant details, earning a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is coherent and has a clear overall arrangement with logical progression. You use appropriate referencing and cohesive devices to connect your ideas, such as "In addition," to introduce the second point. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the introduction, the main body points regarding the purchase and problem, the request for a replacement, and the formal sign-off. While the transitional phrases and paragraphing are generally clear and functional, the cohesion could be slightly more sophisticated to reach higher bands. However, all information is logically sequenced and easy for the reader to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to successfully describe the item, the defect, and your requirements. You use phrases like "online site," "dissatisfaction," and "replacement." However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as "request the solution of an issue" (which sounds unnatural; "resolve an issue" or "report a problem" would be better) and missing an article in "cut on t shirt" (should be "a cut on the t-shirt"). Additionally, phrases like "t-shirt that I like too much" are somewhat conversational. The lexical range is sufficient to convey your message clearly, but frequent minor lexical slips prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the relative clause in "the t-shirt that I like too much" and the time clause in "when I opened the packaging and tried it on then my excitement vanished". There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, notably the double connector "when... then" and missing articles ("on t shirt", "on an event"). Punctuation and capitalization also show minor issues, such as lowercase days of the week ("monday", "tuesday"). Despite these errors, communication is not impeded, and your meaning remains clear throughout the letter.

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

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