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

You have successfully covered all three bullet points required in the prompt. You provided clear details of the purchase, including the date bought last Monday, delivery yesterday, and the order number #2345567. You described the problem effectively by mentioning that you found a cut on the t-shirt just below the shoulder when you opened the packaging. Additionally, you explained why you need a replacement urgently, stating that you need to wear it for a Diwali event happening next Tuesday. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and your purpose is clear throughout the response. All parts of the task are adequately addressed, earning a solid band score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Your letter follows a clear overall progression. You begin with an appropriate salutation, state your purpose, provide the necessary details and problem description in the body paragraphs, and conclude with a formal sign-off. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'In addition' and 'when', although some transitions feel a bit repetitive or basic. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate your introduction, body points, and conclusion. While the cohesion is occasionally mechanical, the organisation remains clear and logical throughout the letter, allowing the reader to follow your narrative easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, successfully communicating your message with terms like 'dissatisfaction', 'packaging', and 'replacement'. However, there are some minor lexical inaccuracies and slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'the solution of an issue of the product' instead of 'an issue with the product', and saying 'it is the t-shirt that I like too much' rather than 'a t-shirt that I really like'. You also used simpler expressions where less common vocabulary could have demonstrated more flexibility. Nevertheless, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

Your letter shows a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the relative clause in 'the t-shirt that I just bought from your online site, which led to my dissatisfaction'. You demonstrate good control over basic tenses, as seen in 'I bought a t-shirt last monday which was delivered yesterday.' However, there are some grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'when I find a cut on t-shirt' (tense shift and missing article) and 'for your this assistance' (incorrect word order). Punctuation and capitalisation also need slight attention, such as capitalising 'Monday' and 'Tuesday'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the writing from reaching a higher band.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.