Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28

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 4.5)

Dear Madam,

I am writing this letter to complaint about the prouct which i recently purchased from your website which is not satisfying me as my previous experieces.

I have been shopping from your website since while and before the week i bought a crochet top and a skirt from the latest collection. It delivered yesterday and i unboxed with so many expectations but after opening i was so disappointed.

Although i had still hope that another product is good ,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 81 words. Because of this severe under-length, the task is only partially addressed. Although the student attempts the first bullet point by mentioning a recent purchase of a crochet top and a skirt from the website, the second bullet point is only superficially touched upon with a mention of disappointment, and the third bullet point regarding the urgent need for a replacement is completely missing due to the abrupt ending of the text. To improve, you must ensure all bullet points are fully developed and that you meet the word count requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response shows some basic structural organisation with an appropriate formal opening salutation and an initial attempt to sequence ideas logically. However, the progression is cut extremely short, ending mid-sentence. Cohesive devices are minimal and basic, such as 'Although', and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as referring to the plural products with 'It delivered yesterday'. Paragraphing is also disrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. To achieve a higher band, you need to write a complete piece of continuous prose with clear paragraph breaks and a wider, more accurate range of cohesive links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and shows noticeable errors that impede natural expression. For example, the student writes 'to complaint' instead of 'to complain', uses 'prouct' with a spelling error, and employs unnatural phrasing such as 'since while' instead of 'for a while'. While there are attempts at topic-related vocabulary like 'purchased', 'collection', and 'unboxed', the lexical range remains limited and repetitive. To improve your lexical score, focus on accurate word forms, correct spelling, and more natural collocations for formal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures. There are several noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, such as capitalization issues ('i' instead of 'I'), missing articles ('It delivered yesterday' instead of 'It was delivered'), and awkward verb tenses ('is not satisfying me as my previous experieces'). Because the text breaks off prematurely, it is difficult to assess a wider variety of complex structures. To improve, focus on basic grammatical accuracy, correct use of the passive voice for deliveries, and proper sentence completion.

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

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