Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-03

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 5.5)

Dear sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well ! Recently , i purchase some clothes the online site of shine. In this shopping i bought two tops and jeans. All thought, it not my first time when i shop online, but this time i am totally dissatisfied with your service.

However , the color as well as the fiber was not exactly same as i ordered. As i ordered the color of tops in light or fiber in cotan but i did expect that , but i receive.

I ordered these for my interview that occur it coming week that's why i urgent need the replace for my clothes. I hope you understand my situation please replace it as soon as possible i will be very thankful for your affords.

Best regards,

lakhvir kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by giving details of the purchase, describing the problem, and explaining the urgent need for a replacement. However, these ideas are limited and under-developed, particularly the descriptions of the items and the reason for urgency. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as the response falls short of the minimum word count by fourteen words. To reach a higher level, the writer would need to expand on the specific details of the items bought, provide a clearer elaboration on why the job interview requires these exact clothes, and ensure the word count exceeds the minimum threshold.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a traditional salutation, body paragraphs, and a closing sign-off, demonstrating a basic structure. Paragraphing is attempted, though the flow is sometimes disjointed due to abrupt transitions and mechanical cohesive devices like 'All thought' and 'However'. Referencing is not always clear, making it slightly difficult to follow the progression of ideas in the middle section. To improve, the writer should use more natural linking words and ensure smooth transitions between sentences so that the ideas logically progress from the purchase details to the problem and finally to the urgent request.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. There are noticeable lexical errors, such as 'fiber' instead of 'fabric', 'cotan' instead of 'cotton', and spelling mistakes like 'purchase' used as a noun or verb confusion. Words are often chosen inappropriately, which causes some difficulty for the reader in fully grasping the exact nature of the items and the flaws. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, use correct word forms and spellings, and incorporate less common lexical items related to shopping and clothing with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response shows a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent errors when attempting more complex forms. There are notable grammatical issues involving verb tenses, such as mixing past and present time frames ('i purchase', 'that occur it coming week'), prepositions inside grammatical patterns ('on the online site'), and punctuation errors like spaces before commas. These frequent errors can cause difficulty and strain for the reader. To improve, the writer should focus on mastering basic sentence structures, maintaining consistent past tenses for past events, and reducing punctuation and agreement errors.

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

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