Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-18

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 or madam

I am writing this letter to express my concern for s pair of trousers and a sweat shirt i have purchased online from your brand.

I will like to start with the main issue, that the sizes of all three things were incorrect when they were delivered. Instead of XL they delivered Large size Apart from this the quality of these clothes was very low and the sweat shirt was not even the same which I ordered instead of purple they delivered blue sweat shirt.

I need to replace them on urgene basis as next week , I am travelling at home town and need to carry these things along. I would highly recommend you to look this issue as other customers should suffer like I had.

I hope you hear from you as early as possible. Kindly look into it and change my clothes and get the issues solved as soon as possible

Your's faithfully

XYZ

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. Details of the purchase are provided by mentioning a pair of trousers and a sweatshirt bought online. The problem is clearly described, noting incorrect sizing (Large instead of XL) and a color discrepancy where a blue sweatshirt was received instead of purple, alongside poor overall quality. Furthermore, the need for an urgent replacement is explained due to upcoming travel home next week. All parts of the task are addressed adequately, although the development of ideas is somewhat brief and relies on a continuous block of text rather than well-extended points. Nevertheless, the requirements of the prompt are fully met, which aligns well with a Band 6.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks proper paragraphing, as the body of the text is presented in one dense block separated only by line breaks, making the overall organisation appear somewhat mechanical and difficult to navigate. While there is a logical progression moving from the purchase details to the problem and finally the urgent request, the lack of distinct paragraphs hinders logical flow. Cohesive devices are minimal and basic, such as 'Apart from this' and 'Instead of'. Referencing is also slightly unclear at times, such as when referring to 'all three things' when only two items (trousers and a sweatshirt) were explicitly mentioned earlier. These issues place this response firmly at Band 5.0 for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating daily consumer needs with terms like 'express my concern', 'incorrect', and 'replacement'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, such as 'sweat shirt' written as two words, 'urgene basis' (urgent basis), and referring to 'three things' when only two items were purchased. Attempts at less common vocabulary are basic and occasionally awkward in collocation, such as 'travelling at home town'. While communication is not impeded and the reader easily understands the complaints, the frequent vocabulary and spelling errors prevent the score from rising above a Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing this letter to express my concern for s pair of trousers and a sweat shirt i have purchased online from your brand.' However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several mechanical and grammatical errors, including capitalization slips ('i'), punctuation omissions and misplacements, typos ('s pair' instead of 'a pair'), and run-on sentences with comma splices, such as 'Instead of XL they delivered Large size Apart from this...'. Additionally, the formal greeting and sign-off contain casing and spacing errors ('Dear sir or madam', 'Your's faithfully'). These frequent errors demonstrate typical characteristics of a Band 5.0 level.

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

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