Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-04
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,
The intention of my email today is to express my dissatisfaction regarding the recent online purchase on 2nd february, 2026, which cost me 200$.
Addressing the issue directly, all clothes were supposed be delivered on 6th february; however, it was delayed significantly. Consequently, I could not wear it on the intented suspecious ocassion and I had to buy clothes urgently from another store.
Additionally, instead of getting medium size for all apperal I got small size for few that is not fitting well. Therefore, it would be great if you could replace the items which are of incorrect size. Considering the market value of the brand this was incredibally unexpected experience.
What's more, I expect urgent replacement for the clothes that I want to replace as I have ordered it for my brother's wedding that after 4 days only. So, it would appreciate it, if you could do express delivery for that items.
I sincerely value your support in this matter. Moreover, keeping open and consitent communication with eachother would be highly beneficial.
Sincerely,
Preshna Patel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing details of the purchase, describing the problem with delivery and incorrect sizing, and explaining the urgency behind needing replacements for a wedding. The position and purpose of the letter are clear throughout. However, some ideas show a slight tendency towards over-generalisation and could be extended further. For instance, the mention of the brand's market value touches upon the expectation of quality, but this point is not fully expanded. The requirements of the prompt are covered well, ensuring a solid execution of the task's communicative goals.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The letter maintains a clear overall arrangement with logical progression from the introduction of the problem to the requested solutions. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as the delivery delay and the sizing issues. Cohesive devices are employed, including transitional phrases like 'Consequently', 'Additionally', and 'What's more'. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel slightly mechanical rather than entirely seamless, which prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. For example, the transition into the final paragraph feels a bit abrupt, and the pronoun referencing in phrases like 'that items' lacks precise agreement.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the necessary details and complaints. The student attempts less common lexical items, such as 'dissatisfaction', 'significantly', and 'express delivery'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors that appear throughout the text, such as 'february' (capitalisation), 'intented' (spelling), 'suspecious' (misuse of word for auspicious), and 'apperal' (spelling of apparel). These inaccuracies do not seriously impede communication, but they highlight limitations in lexical precision and word form control that are characteristic of this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct compound and complex clauses using subordinating and coordinating conjunctions. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as article omissions and subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'all clothes were supposed be delivered', 'small size for few that is not fitting', and 'that I want to replace as I have ordered it for my brother's wedding that after 4 days only'). Punctuation errors also appear, such as the currency symbol placement and minor comma splices. Fortunately, these errors rarely impede overall communication and allow the intended meaning to get across.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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