Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfation for an online shopping experience with you. Following a strong recommendation from one of my friends, I ordered a jacket online from your website on 21st June. Before purchasing, I carefully checked all the descriptions under the picture and compared given size with my body measurements.

However, upon the parcel's arrival on 27th June, the size did not fit me. As per the description the jacket was in a medium in size but the size I received appears to be small. It particularly surprised me because I usually wear a medium size, and it 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 college.

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

I look forward to your prompt response and I hope appropriate actions will be taken to resolve this problem.

Yours sincerely,

Rahul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly provided the details of the purchase, stating you ordered a jacket from the website on 21st June. You described the problem well by explaining that the item arrived on 27th June, but despite checking the size chart, the jacket was too small. Furthermore, you explained the urgency for a replacement by noting that your classes start within 15 days and you have no other winter clothes. The tone of the letter is consistently formal and appropriate for a complaint letter. All parts of the prompt are fully addressed and supported with relevant details, meeting the criteria for a high score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Your letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle, and end, following standard business letter conventions. You have used paragraphing effectively, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of your situation: the introduction and purchase details, the description of the problem, the need for urgency, and the closing request. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'As per the description', and 'So' are used appropriately to guide the reader through your arguments. While some transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest bands, the progression of ideas is smooth, clear, and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for this task, successfully using functional phrases such as 'express my dissatisfation', 'parcel's arrival', and 'prompt response'. There are a few minor spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'dissatisfation' instead of 'dissatisfaction', 'purchage' instead of 'purchase', and 'unwearbale' instead of 'unwearable'. However, these vocabulary slips are occasional and do not impede communication at all. You make a good attempt at less common lexical items like 'measurements' and 'urgently' (implied through your context), showing adequate flexibility and precision for a General Training letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Following a strong recommendation from one of my friends, I ordered a jacket online...' and 'Before purchasing, I carefully checked all the descriptions under the picture and compared given size with my body measurements.' The majority of your sentences are grammatically accurate, and punctuation is handled well throughout. There are a few minor errors, such as missing articles ('in a medium in size' instead of 'in a medium size' and 'send me replacement' instead of 'send me a replacement'), but these errors are infrequent and never impede communication. Your control of grammar is solid.

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

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