Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

The purpose of my writing today is to inform you about the clothing item I bought last week from your website that I was not satisfied with.

I bought a black suit for my graduation ceremony on 15th September 2026 from your online site and paid almost $52, including delivery charges. It was delivered after 2 days, which was on time.

However, when I opened my parcel, I noticed that the suit had several problems because I ordered a large size, but the suit I got was a medium size, which did not fit my body. Additionally, the color of my suit was different from what was on the website.

I would be truly grateful if you could send me a new suit in the proper size with the color that was on the website as soon as possible, because I have my graduation ceremony on coming week. And I can return the wrong-size suit if required.

I am looking forward to seeing a feedback from your side to resolve my problem.

Yours faithfully,

Kevin Gohil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The student has successfully covered all parts of the task prompt in a clear and appropriate manner. The letter begins appropriately, provides precise details of the purchase including the date, item description, and cost, and clearly describes the problem with both the sizing and the color. Furthermore, it explains the urgency of needing a replacement due to the upcoming graduation ceremony. The tone is consistently polite and formal, which fits the general training letter writing requirement well. Ideas are well-developed and all bullet points from the prompt are fully satisfied. Therefore, a solid band 8.0 is awarded for this criterion as it covers all parts effectively with only minor room for deeper elaboration.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized and flows well from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, such as the purchase details, the problems encountered, and the requested resolution. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, including transitional phrases like 'However' and 'Additionally'. Although some referencing could be slightly more polished—such as 'seeing a feedback'—the overall progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow. The letter meets all expectations for a band 7.0 by maintaining a clear logical structure and making use of appropriate paragraphing and basic connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used throughout the response is adequate and mostly precise for the task. The student employs functional items like 'satisfaction', 'delivery charges', and 'replacement'. However, some word choices are slightly unnatural or lack advanced collocation, such as 'seeing a feedback' instead of 'receiving feedback' or 'hearing back'. There are also minor awkward phrasings like 'did not fit my body'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient for clear communication and attempts less common phrases. This aligns well with the descriptors for a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I would be truly grateful if you could send me a new suit...' and 'when I opened my parcel, I noticed that...'. Grammatical control is generally quite good, though there are a few minor slips and unnatural preposition choices, such as 'writing today is to inform you' and 'on coming week' instead of 'next week'. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are handled well for the most part. Since the majority of sentences are clear and the errors do not impede communication at all, a band 7.0 is well-deserved.

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

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