Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-20

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,

I am writing this letter to you about a recent purchase I had done from your store (online). I received the articles today and I am extremely disappointed with the quality and sizing of these clothes.

To be specific, I had ordered a grey hoodie in size Medium along with a denim jeans in size Medium. After seeing all the positive reviews and claims about superior quality I was not hesitant even for a bit before placing the order. However, I got the first shock when I opened the parcel. Both of the items were nowhere near the quality you had shown in the videos. In addition to that, when I wanted to try on the outerwear it was certainly not the size I had ordered. Even the tag had mentioned size ''XS''.

I have to travel day after tomorrow and I need the mentioned clothing for this trip only. For that reason, I would like a replacement as soon as possible. I hope you take the matter seriously and expedite the procedure.

Regards,

Mesha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You clearly gave details of the purchase by mentioning the grey hoodie and denim jeans in size Medium ordered from your online store. You described the problem effectively by explaining the poor quality and highlighting the sizing error where the outerwear tagged 'XS' was delivered instead. Furthermore, you explained why you need a replacement urgently, stating that you have to travel the day after tomorrow and require the clothing for that specific trip. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and the purpose is sustained throughout. All requirements are fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically sequenced and easy to follow. Ideas are clearly organized into appropriate paragraphs, starting with the introduction and purchase details, moving into the specific problems encountered, and concluding with the urgent request for a replacement. Cohesive devices such as 'To be specific', 'In addition to that', and 'For that reason' are used effectively to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring that each distinct point is handled in its own space. Overall, the structural progression of the letter is very clear and natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate and suitable for a formal complaint. You use some good descriptive phrases like 'extremely disappointed', 'superior quality', and 'expedite the procedure'. However, there are a few minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward collocations. For instance, 'purchase I had done' is unnatural and should be 'purchase I had made', and 'a denim jeans' contains a singular/plural mismatch since jeans are plural ('a pair of denim jeans' or just 'denim jeans'). Despite these occasional errors, the range is sufficient to convey your message precisely, earning a solid band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

Your writing demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'After seeing all the positive reviews and claims about superior quality I was not hesitant even for a bit before placing the order.' You show good control over past tenses and conditional contexts. There are a few grammatical errors, such as 'purchase I had done' (inappropriate verb choice) and the tense shift in 'Even the tag had mentioned' where a simple past 'mentioned' would be more natural. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound.

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