Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-24

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Manan Modi. Recently, I purchased a pair of shorts and T-shirts from your website. However, I am not satisfied with the quality of the clothes.

To begin with, I bought these clothes 4 days ago, and I received the delivery yesterday. I paid around 125 CAD for this purchase. Moreover, the order number was B-7625, and it was two pairs of blue-coloured shorts and three oversized printed T-shirts.

Nevertheless, there are some problems with my purchase. First and foremost, I got completely different colour shorts, as I ordered blue colour and I got light blue colour. Furthermore, the print quality on the T-shirts was not good. The print was fading and cracking.

I would like an urgent replacement because I bought these clothes for my brother's wedding, and I need to wear them at the sangeet. Now, I do not have time to place a new order; hence, I need a replacement as soon as possible.

I am looking forward to hearing back from you at the earliest. Let me know if you need more details about my purchase.

Yours faithfully,

Manan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response successfully covers all bullet points of the task prompt. First, the student gives precise details of the purchase, including the date, price (125 CAD), order number (B-7625), and exact items bought ('two pairs of blue-coloured shorts and three oversized printed T-shirts'). Second, the problem is clearly described, noting the wrong shade of blue received and the poor print quality on the T-shirts ('fading and cracking'). Finally, the urgency is well explained by mentioning the brother's wedding and the sangeet event. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and all requirements are fully addressed with clear, relevant supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised and easy to follow. Ideas are structured chronologically and topically, progressing naturally from purchase details to the specific problems and then the reason for urgency. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with clear spacing between the introduction, details, problem description, urgency explanation, and closing. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'Nevertheless', 'First and foremost', and 'Furthermore' are deployed effectively to guide the reader through the text, although some cohesive links are slightly formulaic, keeping the score at a solid band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The vocabulary used is generally natural and adequate for the task. The student employs some less common and topic-specific vocabulary items such as 'oversized printed T-shirts', 'fading and cracking', and 'urgent replacement'. Word choice is mostly precise, although there are a few minor unnatural collocations, such as 'got completely different colour shorts' instead of 'received shorts in a completely different colour'. However, the vocabulary successfully conveys the necessary information without impeding communication, representing a solid performance for General Training Task 1.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a good control of grammar and punctuation. There is a healthy mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as concessive and causal clauses ('Now, I do not have time to place a new order; hence, I need a replacement as soon as possible.'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout the letter. Grammatical errors are very rare and non-systematic, meaning communication is never impeded. The control shown aligns well with the criteria for Band 7.

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