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/Madam,
The reason for writing this email is to let you know that I have bought some clothing online and do not satisfied with my purchase.
Firstly, I ordered some outfits from your site for my birthday but, unfortunately, the size is not the one I selected.
Secondly, as I have already mentioned that, those outfits are for my birthday, so it is a big day for me and I do not have enough time to go to market and brought some other stuff as those outfits were expensive too.
Thirdly, I need urgent replacement to those outfits before my birthday, otherwise, I will take some strict actions towards your company.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards,
Preet
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all three bullet points from the prompt: you gave basic details of the purchase, described the problem regarding the wrong size, and explained the urgent need for a replacement before your birthday. However, the length requirement has not been met, as the response contains only 121 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. This negative impact on length restricts the depth of development, resulting in a score that reflects an incomplete task fulfillment regarding the word count threshold. To improve, ensure you fully expand on each bullet point with more specific details, such as order numbers, exact dates, and clearer explanations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter maintains a clear logical organisation with a conventional greeting and sign-off, and you attempted to sequence your points using transitional markers like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Thirdly'. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with several points crammed into single-sentence paragraphs rather than being grouped logically. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical and repetitive. Referencing is generally understandable, but the flow between ideas could be smoother. To achieve a higher band score, organise your ideas into well-developed paragraphs containing an introductory sentence, supporting details, and appropriate cohesive links.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but it tends to be basic and contains noticeable inaccuracies. For example, the phrase 'do not satisfied' demonstrates an incorrect lexical and grammatical combination, and 'brought some other stuff' uses informal vocabulary ('stuff') and the wrong verb tense/form ('brought' instead of 'buy'). While you attempt some less common vocabulary items, errors in word choice and collocation are frequent enough to cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on accurate word forms and incorporate more formal, precise vocabulary suited to formal correspondence.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, such as 'do not satisfied' (missing auxiliary verb and incorrect adjective form), 'as I have already mentioned that' (unnecessary relative pronoun/conjunction), and 'urgent replacement to those outfits' (preposition error). Punctuation is generally functional, but run-on sentence structures and awkward phrasing reduce clarity in places. To improve, you should review verb forms, passive structures, and accurate preposition use to ensure your complex sentences are error-free.
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.