Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 express my dissatisfied online shopping experience with you. After a strong recommendation of one of my friends, I ordered a jacket online from your website on 21st June. I carefully checked all the descriptions under the picture of that particular jacket and compared it with my body measurements before purchasing.

However, upon the parcel's arrivel on 27th June, the size did not fit me. As per the description it was a medium in size but I received that may be a small. Because for all other clothing, medium size fits me perfectly. I felt really disappointed because it was my first purchage for this winter and I was super excited to wear it in a college.

It is unwearable to me and a complete waste if it is kept at home.I would appreciate if it can be replaced. My classes are starting within 15 days and I have not bought any other winter cloths. So, please provide me the information on a return application and send me replacement for a bigger size as soon as possible.

I look forward to your prompt response and action to resolve this problem.

Yours sincerely,

Rahul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response fully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You clearly provided the details of the purchase, including the date of order (21st June) and delivery (27th June), as well as the specific item bought. You described the problem well by explaining that the jacket was too small despite checking the measurements beforehand. Finally, you successfully explained why you need a replacement urgently, mentioning that your classes are starting within 15 days and you have no other winter clothes. The purpose of the letter is consistently clear and the tone is appropriate for a formal complaint. Ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant details, fulfilling all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is grouped sensibly into paragraphs, moving from the purchase details to the problem, the urgency, and finally the call to action. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Because', and 'So' are used to connect ideas, although some transitions could be smoother or more varied. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate each main point, making the letter easy to follow. Referencing is generally clear, such as using 'it' to refer back to the jacket. Overall, the structural flow supports the communicative purpose of the text without causing any confusion for the reader.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to successfully convey your message. You attempted some less common vocabulary items, such as 'express my dissatisfied online shopping experience' and 'body measurements'. However, there are a few lexical and spelling errors that prevent a higher band, such as 'dissatisfied' instead of 'dissatisfaction', 'arrivel' instead of 'arrival', 'purchage' instead of 'purchase', and 'cloths' instead of 'clothes'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the range of vocabulary is sufficient for flexibility and precision, and the meaning remains clear throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrated a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional-style ideas effectively (e.g., 'I carefully checked all the descriptions... and compared it with my body measurements before purchasing'). There are some grammatical errors, such as 'that may be a small' and 'provide me the information on a return application and send me replacement for a bigger size', where missing articles and preposition choices are slightly awkward. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of sentences are structured correctly. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the formal salutation and sign-off are correctly executed.

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.