Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to let you know that I am extremely unsatisfied from the dress that I had purchased from your online store.

Let me explain in detail. I had ordered a two-piece read-made cambric outfit which was being sold at a discounted price on your website. The colour of the dress was dark blue with buttons around the neckline. I really liked the dress and ordered it instantly.

I received the order yesterday and I was so dissapointed to see it. The colour was light blue which was very different from the one shown on the website. Moreover, some of the buttons were missing around the neckline and it had torn sleeves as well. This is completely unacceptable from well-known brand like yours.

Would you kindly replace this article on priority basis? I am travelling to Canada on next monday, so I do not have much time. Kindly get it replaced by the end of this week.

Thankyou for your consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Sara Qureshi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

You have covered all parts of the task very well and provided a well-developed response. You successfully gave details of the purchase, such as the two-piece read-made cambric outfit bought at a discounted price, described the problem clearly by mentioning the wrong colour, missing buttons, and torn sleeves, and explained your urgent need for a replacement due to your upcoming trip to Canada next Monday. All three bullet points from the prompt are fully and clearly addressed with relevant details, demonstrating a strong understanding of what the task requires.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

Your letter shows a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You have used appropriate paragraphing to separate your introduction, the details of the purchase, the description of the problem, your urgent request, and your sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'This is completely unacceptable' are used to connect your ideas effectively, although paragraphing and referencing could occasionally be smoother to push into the highest bands. Overall, the structure of your letter is coherent and easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You have used an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and descriptive phrases like 'two-piece read-made cambric outfit', 'discounted price', and 'on priority basis'. However, there are some spelling and word-choice errors that prevent a higher score, specifically the spelling mistake 'dissapointed' and the slightly unnatural prepositional collocation 'unsatisfied from' instead of 'unsatisfied with'. To reach a higher level, you should refine your spelling and ensure your choice of prepositions with adjectives is entirely natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You have demonstrated a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating clauses such as 'which was being sold at a discounted price' and 'so I do not have much time'. Your control of verb tenses is generally good, and you have used appropriate punctuation and structure for a formal complaint letter. There are some minor errors, such as the prepositional phrase 'on next monday' where the preposition is unnecessary, but these errors rarely impede communication and your overall control is solid.

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

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