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:

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sir,

Last week, I bought a blue jean from your company.It was a online purshase. Although, it was very eye catching product as well as it was also wear by a big celebrity 'Katrina Kaif'. I really like the fiting of the jean. And the price was very reasonable for the product.

I had a party so I wear it there. Its looks really attractive but when I washed it the colour of the jean fades very light. However, the threads were also came out. I do not know if there is only problem with this specific product or they all are like same. I also read the instructions that given on the tag of the product before I put it in the washing machine.

Can you please give a replacement of the product as soon as possible because I have to go on a vacation in upcoming days. I really want to wear on my vacation as I mention before I really like the fitting and the overall look of the product.

Your regards,

Manpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points required in the task. First, the student gives details of the purchase by stating it was bought last week and mentioning a blue jean, along with its reasonable price and celebrity endorsement. Second, the problem is clearly described, explaining that after washing, the colour faded and threads came out despite following the tag instructions. Third, the student explains the need for an urgent replacement due to an upcoming vacation. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and all requirements are fully covered, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter is logically organised into clear paragraphs, starting with the purchase details, moving to the problem in the second paragraph, and concluding with the request for an urgent replacement. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Although', 'And', 'However', and 'Can you please', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or basic. Referencing is generally clear, and paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different topics. Overall, the text demonstrates a clear logical progression throughout, aligning well with the Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptors, comfortably sitting at Band 6.5 due to minor mechanical transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting some less common phrases such as 'eye catching product', 'reasonable price', and 'specific product'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and singular/plural errors, such as writing 'a blue jean' instead of 'a pair of jeans', 'online purshase' (spelling), 'wear by' instead of 'worn by', and 'fiting' instead of 'fitting'. While these vocabulary and spelling errors are present, they do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient for the task requirements, matching the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating clauses with 'although', 'when', and 'because'. However, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense and voice issues ('it was also wear by'), subject-verb agreement or auxiliary errors ('the threads were also came out', 'instructions that given'), and prepositional slips. Despite these frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation, they rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. This performance fits the Band 6.0 criteria, where a mix of structures is attempted alongside non-systematic errors.

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