Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear mam / sir

I am writing this email in regards to online purchase I did two weeks ago. I am so dissatisfied with the overall experience and wanted to express through this email.

Two weeks ago, there was a sale going on on your website and most of the items was 50% off. As soon I got that eye catching notification, I shopped for my pre winter cloths. I spent around $200 for seven items as I picked from primium collection.

The packedge arrived after 5 days of purchase and as soon as I opened it, I found only six items which was quite frustating for me. Moreover, two tops were different colored that I orderd.

I actually have a terrible experience this time. As being a regular customer, I would like to get urgent replacement with the red shirt that was missing because I have to wear some clothing in my brother engagement. Also, would like to get some discount on top for my time.

regards,

Dhruv

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. They provide details of the purchase, including the time frame, the 50% discount sale, and the total spend of $200. The problem is clearly described, noting that only six of the seven items arrived, and two tops were of the wrong color. Furthermore, the need for an urgent replacement is explained by mentioning an upcoming family engagement. The purpose of the letter is clear and maintained throughout, and the tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The response fully satisfies the task requirements, earning a band score of 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is structured into clear paragraphs, starting with an appropriate salutation and ending with a formal sign-off. Ideas are logically sequenced, moving from the purchase details to the specific issues, and finally to the requested resolution. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover' and 'As soon as', though referencing and transitions can occasionally feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct ideas, such as the purchase description and the issues encountered, resulting in a coherent and easily understood overall arrangement.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common collocations and phrases such as 'eye catching notification' and 'regular customer'. However, there are several spelling and word-choice errors, including 'mam' instead of 'Madam', 'in regards to' instead of 'with regard to', 'cloths' instead of 'clothes', 'packedge' instead of 'package', and 'frustating' instead of 'frustrating'. Additionally, 'engagement' is used incorrectly as a noun adjunct without 's' ('brother engagement'). Despite these inaccuracies, communication is not impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and subordinate clauses ('As soon I got that eye catching notification, I shopped...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and omissions, including missing articles ('As soon I got', 'different colored that I orderd', 'wear some clothing in my brother engagement'), subject-verb agreement issues ('most of the items was', 'six items which was'), and spelling mistakes in verb forms ('orderd'). While these errors do not impede overall understanding, they affect the accuracy of the sentences.

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