Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30

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,

I am writing this letter to complain about the clothing which I purchased few days ago. It was an online shopping. Moreover, here I would like to share some information. My order number is [redacted phone] and email is [redacted email]. Also, my contact number is [redacted phone].

In addition, when I bought the clothes such as jeans, tops, shorties etcetera were showing me the soft febric and no damaging issues. Hereafter, the items were deliver to my home, I checked and I got to know about the tops were having holes in it, the material was looking so skinny. That is why I am very disappointed with acquire.

Furthermore, I want you to do an urgent replacement as I bought these clothes for my abroad vacation. However, if you can not do it, then refund money.

Please take it seriously and reply as soon as possible..

Yours faithfully,

Khushbu Chawda

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points from the prompt: it gives details of the purchase (order number, email, and contact number), describes the problem (tops having holes and poor material quality compared to the advertisement), and explains why a replacement is needed urgently (for an upcoming abroad vacation). The ideas are clearly communicated and appropriate for a formal complaint letter. However, some sections are slightly underdeveloped or overly brief, such as the explanation regarding the vacation. This places the response comfortably at Band 6.0, as all parts of the task are addressed, but the development and elaboration of ideas could be extended further for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement and follows a logical letter structure, beginning with an appropriate salutation and ending with a sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition', 'Also', and 'That is why' are used to connect ideas, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is utilized to separate the introduction, the details of the problem, the urgency, and the call to action, which helps the reader follow the flow of information. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional awkward phrasing affects the smooth progression of ideas. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday retail concepts. Phrases like 'online shopping', 'complaint', 'order number', and 'replacement' are used correctly. However, there are noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies that prevent a higher score, such as 'febric' (fabric), 'deliver' (delivered), 'acquire' (acquisition/purchase), and the informal term 'shorties'. Despite these errors, meaning is generally not impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficient for a standard formal complaint, fitting the Band 5.5 to 6.0 profile.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this letter to complain about...' and 'However, if you can not do it, then refund money.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including 'clothing which I purchased few days ago' (missing article), 'the items were deliver' (passive voice error), and 'tops were having holes in it' (inappropriate tense/aspect). Punctuation errors also appear, such as double periods at the end of a sentence. While these errors occur frequently, they rarely impede overall communication, placing this response at a Band 5.5.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.