Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the product I recently purchased from your online store. I placed an order for a medium sized shirt on 15 of October.

Although I received my package on time, I received the large size shirt. Due to oversize, it is not looking good on me. I odered this for to wear on my friends birthday, which is coming on next month. I tried to make a complain to your customer service department but they did not answer to my calls. That is why I decided to write an email to you.

I would therefore request you to replace this product as soon as possible because I need this before the birthday of my friend. I also attached my billing and product details with this email. If you need any further information, please let me know.

I hope you will provide me with the replacement shortly. Thank you for your cooperation in advance.

Yours faithfully,

Manish Thakur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all the bullet points outlined in the prompt. You clearly provide the details of your purchase, mentioning the item as a medium-sized shirt ordered on the 15th of October. You describe the problem adequately by explaining that you received a large size instead and that it looks oversized on you. Additionally, you explain why a replacement is needed urgently, noting that you plan to wear it to your friend's upcoming birthday party next month. Your tone is appropriately formal for a complaint letter, and all requirements of the task have been addressed well. Therefore, your performance meets the criteria for Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. You begin with the standard formal greeting, state your purpose, elaborate on the problem and your previous attempts to contact customer service, and conclude with your request for a replacement and the necessary attachments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different ideas, such as the purchase details, the issue, and the urgency. Cohesive devices are generally used effectively, although some transitions like 'That is why I decided to write an email to you' are slightly repetitive in structure. Overall, the flow is smooth and easy to follow, making this a solid performance for cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to successfully convey your message. You use some appropriate phrases such as 'express my deep dissatisfaction', 'customer service department', and 'billing and product details'. However, there are a few word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'oversize' instead of 'oversized' and 'odered' instead of 'ordered'. You also use some redundant phrasing like 'for to wear'. While you attempt some less common vocabulary, these minor errors and limitations keep your lexical score at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, successfully using relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'Although I received my package on time, I received the large size shirt' and 'If you need any further information, please let me know.' However, there are grammatical errors present, such as 'I received the large size shirt' (article usage), 'Due to oversize' (part of speech), and 'birthday of my friend' (which sounds a bit unnatural compared to 'my friend's birthday'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and your meaning remains clear throughout the letter.

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