Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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 purchased three items from your offical website on Monday last week, and I have a few concerns regarding the delivered items. My order number is AG1267 and the order was placed under the name Nick Tom.

I ordered two floral jumpsuits and one sleeveless top with instrict buttons on it. All items were ordered in size small. While I received my order on time, there are a few mishaps with my delivery. Firstly, I received an incomplete order. Only one jumpsuits was delivered. Additionally, you can clearly see the threads on the sleeveless top come out and the last button on it is half broken.

I read the terms and conditions of your return poilcy online and it states that the complaint must be launced within two weeks of delivery time for urgent replacement. Since I received my order two days ago, I expect the missing item and the top to be replaced without any delay. I need the order to be shipped before my sister's birthday which is on friday next week. My delivery address remains the same. Please guide me how I can exchange the top delivered to me.

I am highly dissatisfied with the quality of your service and I hope you will take this feedback seriously.

I am looking forward to your cooperation.

Regards,

Nick Tom.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements: it identifies the purchase with the order number and buyer’s name, explains that one jumpsuit is missing and the top is damaged, and gives a clear reason for urgency—the sister’s birthday next Friday. The request for the missing item and a replacement top is also explicit. These details make the purpose clear and the ideas are extended sufficiently for a complaint letter. To strengthen the response further, make the requested outcome more precise: for example, specify whether you expect the damaged top to be exchanged and how the company should arrange its return. The reference to the return policy is relevant, though its connection to the urgency could be explained more directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear progression: purchase details, delivery problems, the deadline and requested action, then a closing expression of dissatisfaction. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and markers such as “Firstly” and “Additionally” help distinguish the two problems. The references to “the missing item” and “the top” are generally easy to follow. Some linking is slightly mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “and” in the request paragraph, while “Since I received my order two days ago” could connect more explicitly to the policy deadline. A more direct transition from the policy to the birthday deadline would make the relationship between these points smoother and cohesion less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for a formal complaint and includes useful task-specific terms such as “order number,” “incomplete order,” “return policy,” and “replacement.” The writer also communicates the defects clearly through “threads … come out” and “half broken.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “mishaps with my delivery,” “complaint must be launched,” and “urgent replacement.” There are also spelling errors in “offical,” “poilcy,” and “launced,” which reduce precision. Aim for more natural customer-service phrasing and check spelling carefully; this would make the message sound more fluent and professionally controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including the relative clause “which is on Friday next week” and the conditional-style request “Please guide me how I can exchange the top.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the writer handles past events and present requests reasonably well. Some grammatical errors remain: “one jumpsuits” has incorrect singular agreement, and “I ordered two floral jumpsuits and one sleeveless top with instrict buttons on it” has an awkwardly constructed modifier. The phrase “Please guide me how” also needs a grammatical pattern such as “Please advise me on how.” Greater accuracy with singular and plural forms and embedded questions would build on the range already shown.

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

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