Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-01

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 this letter to express my dissatisfaction with your scrubs. I recently purchased two pairs of scrubs to wear at my work from your online shopping site. Unfortunately, I am not delighted with your product.

I bought those scrubs from your website and I have selected different colour for each of the pair. However, I am not satisfied with your customer service. Yesterday, I received my parcel and I came to know that both the pairs are of identical colour.

I was not expecting this little mistake from big corporation like yours. I am requesting you to replace my products with the correct purchase order as soon as possible. I am in a need of new scrubs for my upcoming nursing practical exam. I would like to request an urgent delivery for my order and also a gift voucher.

I hope you understand my concern and solve my issue as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Anjali

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by giving details of the purchase, describing the problem, and explaining the urgent need for a replacement. The writer clearly states the purchase of two pairs of scrubs and outlines the issue where both items arrived in an identical colour. The explanation regarding the upcoming nursing practical exam effectively covers the requirement for urgency. However, the response shows a tendency to over-generalise and some ideas are slightly under-developed, such as the brief complaint about customer service, which prevents it from reaching a higher level. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and maintained throughout the text.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter demonstrates a clear overall arrangement with logical progression from stating the purpose of the letter to detailing the problem and requesting a solution. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, such as the description of the items and the request for a replacement. Cohesive devices like 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'Yesterday' are employed to connect ideas, though some referencing and transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the recurring use of 'as soon as possible'. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, successfully fulfilling the lower band requirements while laying the groundwork for a more flexible use of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to online shopping, clothing, and customer service such as 'dissatisfaction', 'identical colour', and 'practical exam'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are accompanied by occasional inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'I am in a need of' and 'different colour for each of the pair'. Spelling and word choice errors are present but do not impede communication, meaning the message remains clear to the reader throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the subordinate clause in 'I came to know that both the pairs are of identical colour.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including article misuse ('different colour', 'a big corporation') and prepositional phrasing ('at my work' instead of 'at work'), but these errors rarely impede communication. The control over verb tenses is generally good when recounting past events like receiving the parcel, indicating solid control while still exhibiting some minor structural slips.

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

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