Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06

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,

Last week, I ordered a jersey of Argentina from the website which I received yesterday. My

friend who usually order from the website suggested me as the there are genuine Adidas sports goods available.

I ordered a large size tshirt and was very excited about it. But the size that I received was medium. Firstly, I thought that the mistake is from my side. I checked my order confirmation email. But that too says large. Moreover, the specifications mentioned that the stuff is cotton but the tshirt I got is 100% polyester.

I am sending this order back today. I am having my final game next week. I want you to send me a replacement of the jersey with large size before end of this week so that I can wear it on my game day. I totally understand the procedure of return and replacement but this is a mistake from your side that needs to be rectified. I will be waiting for you response.

Yours truly,

Jason

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You successfully addressed all parts of the task by giving details of the purchase, describing the problem with both the size and the fabric, and explaining why you need a replacement urgently for your final game next week. Your tone is appropriately direct and clear for a formal complaint letter. However, some bullet points could have been extended further; for instance, the explanation regarding the urgent replacement could include more specific details about shipping times. To move to a higher band, ensure all aspects of the prompt are fully developed with extended explanations and supporting details throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

Your letter has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical sequence from describing the purchase to detailing the problems and stating the requested action. You used some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'But', though referencing and transitions can occasionally feel a bit mechanical, as seen in sentences like 'Firstly, I thought that the mistake is from my side.' Paragraphing is used adequately to separate your introduction, body points, and conclusion. To improve cohesion further, try to use a wider range of referencing words and more sophisticated transition signals to connect your ideas more fluidly without relying on repetitive connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrated an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items like 'specifications', 'rectified', and 'procedure'. However, there are some word choice and collocation inaccuracies that prevent a higher score, such as saying 'a jersey of Argentina' instead of 'an Argentina jersey', and 'usually order from the website suggested me' where the phrasing is unnatural. Spelling is generally accurate, but some lexical choices lack precision and style. To achieve a higher band, focus on using more natural collocations and precise terminology related to online shopping and clothing items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentence forms to convey your message. There are some errors in grammar and tense consistency, such as 'the mistake is from my side' instead of 'on my part', and 'waiting for you response' instead of 'your response'. However, these errors do not impede communication and the meaning remains clear throughout. To reach a higher band, incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures with greater accuracy, ensuring that verb agreements and preposition usage are consistently controlled across all sentences.

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

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