Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-23

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction about the quality of my recently purchased clothes from your website. I purchased two shirts, three pants and two jackets. Additionally, most of them are grey and blue in medium size. Earlier, I was extremely impressed with quality. However, quality of the clothes I received last week were completely opposite.

One of my friends recommended me your website and shown a few articals last year. Consequently, I ordered. Although it was specifically mentioned in the descriptions that all clothes are made of cotton, I have received linen instead of cotton. Moreover, the clothes I selected were professional atttires, but in reality I aquired shimmery and eye-catchy, completely not suitable for professional places.

I would appreciate it if you could arrange a replacement urgently. I will attend business conference in coming month, and I want to look professional. Please let me know the next steps to speed up the process at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing a positive response from you.

Yours sincerely,

Reena

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. First, details of the purchase are clearly provided, including the quantity and general description of the items bought ('two shirts, three pants and two jackets'). Second, the problem is well-described by explaining the discrepancy in fabric material and style, noting that 'linen instead of cotton' was received and the items were 'shimmery and eye-catchy' instead of professional attire. Third, the need for an urgent replacement is justified by stating that 'I will attend business conference in coming month'. The tone is appropriately formal for a business letter, and the purpose is sustained throughout. Therefore, this response comfortably aligns with the Band 7 descriptor for fully addressing all parts of the task with clear supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression from the statement of the problem to the background context, the specific description of the issue, and finally the requested action. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, using words such as 'Additionally', 'However', 'Consequently', and 'Although' to link ideas. However, some referencing is slightly clunky, as seen in the transition 'shown a few articals last year. Consequently, I ordered.' Despite minor rough edges in cohesion, the overall structure is clear and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to handle the task flexibly and precisely, incorporating less common lexical items such as 'dissatisfaction', 'discrepancy' (implied), and 'professional attire'. There are some minor word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'articals' instead of articles, and 'atttires' and 'aquired', which show slight lapses in control. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning effectively without impeding communication. The attempt at using varied descriptive vocabulary like 'shimmery and eye-catchy' is mostly successful, leading to a balanced assessment at Band 6.5, which rounds to Band 6 for conservative marking or 7 if giving the benefit of the doubt—Band 6.5 fits best given the mix of good phrases and spelling errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses ('Although it was specifically mentioned...'). There are some noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'quality of the clothes I received last week were' (subject-verb agreement error with 'quality' and 'were') and 'purchased my recently purchased clothes from your website' (redundancy in the prompt adaptation). Additionally, missing articles occur in phrases like 'attend business conference'. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. The control over grammar is generally acceptable for a Band 6, showing a decent mix of structures with some persistent errors.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.