Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I hope you are doing well, I am loyal customer of your brand since last 2 years. I am always satisfied with your product , but I have faced one challenge just recent purchase from your product via online app, actually I have recentely purchased one shirt from your brand but due to some problem I am not happy with your product. 5 days before I ordered one navy blue shirt from your company through online market, in the app the shirt was plain navy blue and was lookingg perfectly fit according to size which I selected, but yesterday I received delivery and the product was slightly different with blue colour and some design. I was shoked a that time because I have to attend a marriage of my best friend after 9 days so I need urgently replacement if possible, because I have desire to wear plain navy blue shirt in this wedding.
Please try to solve my problem as soon as possible, I will appriciate your efforts.
Thank you ,Kushang Patel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student successfully covers all bullet points required by the task prompt. Details of the purchase are provided, such as ordering a navy blue shirt 5 days ago through an online app. The problem is clearly described, explaining that the delivered product was of a different colour and design from what was expected. Furthermore, the reason for needing an urgent replacement is well-explained, noting that the writer needs to attend a best friend's wedding in 9 days. Although the tone varies slightly between formal and informal letter conventions, the purpose of the letter is fully realized. The ideas are relevant and appropriate for General Training Task 1, meeting the requirements well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter lacks proper paragraphing, as almost the entire body of the text is condensed into a single run-on block of text, which affects readability and the logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are minimal or repetitive, relying heavily on comma splices and conjunctions like 'and' or 'because' rather than structured transitions. For instance, sentences are joined together excessively, such as 'I was shoked a that time because I have to attend a marriage...'. While the sequence of events is understandable, the overall structural organisation needs clearer division into paragraphs representing the distinct points required by the task.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating the core message with phrases like 'loyal customer', 'online app', and 'navy blue shirt'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'recent' instead of 'recently', 'shoked', 'appriciate', and 'lookingg'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success or awkward collocation, such as 'online market' or 'due to some problem'. The lexical range is sufficient for the task, but frequent mechanical and spelling errors prevent it from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing relies heavily on a mix of simple and long, run-on compound sentences connected by commas rather than proper coordination or subordination. There are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation flaws throughout the text, including run-on structures like 'I hope you are doing well, I am loyal customer...' and tense inconsistencies. Minor subject-verb and article omissions are also present, such as 'I am loyal customer' (missing article 'a') and 'need urgently replacement' (word order error). These errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, demonstrating control primarily at the lower-intermediate level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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