Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-27
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 hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to lodge a complaint regarding my recent purchase from your website collection.
Firstly, I want to mention that I am your regular customer and I had never experienced this problem ever till now. Two days ago, I received my online package, consist of three t-shirts and one jeans. Although I ordered, medium sizes but I received small. Other than that the colour displayed on the website looked way too dull in real.
Additionally, the fabric is rough which makes it uncomfortable to wear. Their is a tiny hole in one of the jeans pocket. I am not sure what went wrong this time but I had never expected this kind of service from your company.
I formally request you, to expedite the process of refund. I do not want any exchange, as I will never trust on online shopping again. I would really appreciate, if you can send some vouchers for the inconvenience.
Looking forward to hearing back from you. Let me know if you require any further information.
Yours faithfully,
Nishant Sharma
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The candidate covers all the required bullet points from the prompt effectively. The letter begins with details of the purchase, mentioning that three t-shirts and one pair of jeans were bought two days ago. The problems are clearly described, including incorrect sizing, dull colours, rough fabric, and a tiny hole in a pocket. Finally, the response explains the need for a refund urgently, stating that the customer has lost trust in online shopping and requesting compensation vouchers. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter and the purpose is clear throughout. The response fully satisfies all aspects of the task achievement criteria, earning a band score of 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, body paragraphs addressing specific issues, and a polite sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different categories of complaints, such as sizing and fabric quality. Cohesive devices are handled adequately with transitions like 'Firstly', 'Additionally', and 'Other than that'. While some of the referencing and linking could be slightly more natural, the overall progression of ideas is easy to follow and clear, demonstrating a solid command of structural flow. This performance aligns well with the descriptors for Band 7.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate and functional vocabulary range suitable for a formal complaint. Useful phrases like 'lodge a complaint', 'expedite the process', and 'inconvenience' are deployed correctly. However, there are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'online package, consist of three t-shirts and one jeans' (instead of 'consisting of' and 'a pair of jeans'), and 'trust on online shopping' (instead of 'trust online shopping'). Despite these occasional errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message clearly without impeding comprehension, which is characteristic of a Band 6.0 performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several good complex sentences, such as 'Although I ordered, medium sizes but I received small' (which contains a punctuation and conjunction error by combining 'Although' and 'but') and 'I would really appreciate, if you can send...'. Grammatical errors are present, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Their is a tiny hole') and unnecessary comma splices. However, these errors do not impede communication and the reader can easily grasp all intended meanings. This balance of mixed structures and manageable errors places the writing firmly at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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