Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-29

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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to inform you about a recent purchase, I did online from your store.

I brought a shirt from your brand. It was a fresh arrival and came in loose fitting. There were several colour options available. I initially chose black but it showed that it was unavailable in my size so I opted for a blue one.

The problem I am facing is of the size. As I have already mentioned that I deviated from my colour of choice to choose appropriate fitting. Imagine my disappointment went on delivery I am finding out that the size doesn’t fit me. As per your measurement mention of that particular size it should fit me , but unfortunately it doesn’t.

I ordered this article for my upcoming birthday which is in few days. I was really excited about this new shirt, but now it doesn’t fit.

I therefore request an urgent replacement so I can enjoy my big day happily

Hoping to hear from you soon

Yours sincerely

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task. You have provided details of the purchase (buying an online shirt from the store, mentioning colour and size choices), described the problem clearly (the size is too large despite following the size chart), and explained why a replacement is needed urgently (for your upcoming birthday in a few days). The tone of the letter is appropriate for a complaint letter. Although some details are slightly informal and conversational, such as 'Imagine my disappointment', all parts of the prompt are fully addressed with relevant, extended ideas. Therefore, this fulfills the criteria for Band 6.5 to Band 7.0, and is best placed at Band 6.5 due to slight under-development in the explanation of the purchase details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purchase details to the problem and finally to the urgency of the replacement. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate distinct ideas, such as opening, purchase details, problem description, reasoning, and sign-off. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, seen in phrases like 'The problem I am facing is of the size' and the abrupt transition 'Imagine my disappointment went on delivery I am finding out'. Referencing is generally clear, but some cohesive devices are basic or missing. Overall arrangement is coherent, earning a solid Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, with recognizable attempts to use less common items and descriptive phrases such as 'fresh arrival', 'deviated from my colour of choice', and 'urgent replacement'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'I brought a shirt' (should be 'bought'), 'loose fitting' (should be 'a loose fit'), 'went on delivery I am finding out' (awkward phrasing), and 'measurement mention' (should be 'measurement chart'). These vocabulary errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You have attempted a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'As per your measurement mention of that particular size it should fit me , but unfortunately it doesn’t.' There are several grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes throughout the text, including a comma splice and missing preposition in 'purchase, I did online', incorrect verb tense 'went on delivery I am finding out' instead of 'when upon delivery I found out', and a missing full stop at the end of the final sentence. While these errors occasionally disrupt the flow, they do not severely impede understanding, placing this performance at Band 6.0.

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

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