Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-09

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 hope you are doing well. Recently I ordered some clothing online from your website and I am sorry to inform you that it did not matched my expectations. I ordered four traditional wear kurtis and I am highly disappointed with the designs and material they have.

The designs for two of the kurtis doesn't match according the image provided on the website, material quality for all the kurtis is very low though on the website it's mentioned 100% cotton and lastly one of the kurtis seems pulled apart little bit from the side. This order was for me and my friends who needs to attend our friend's haldi ceremony which takes place in 3 days. I kindly request you to place a replacement order on an urgent basis as we don't have enough time left to buy or order new kurtis.

Kindly hope that you will look into this matter and take immidiate actions.

Regards

Prachi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three required points: you identify the purchase as four kurtis, explain the mismatched designs, poor material and damaged garment, and request an urgent replacement because the haldi ceremony is in three days. These details make the purpose clear and the urgency convincing. The request is polite and appropriate for a complaint letter. To make the response more complete and precise, include purchase details such as the order date or reference number, and state explicitly what remedy you expect if a replacement cannot arrive in time. The problem descriptions are relevant, though the material complaint could be supported with a specific example of how it differs from the advertised cotton.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear progression: you introduce the purchase, list the problems, explain the deadline, and make your request. The ceremony detail connects logically to the need for urgent action, and the closing gives the letter a suitable finish. However, most of the content is placed in one long paragraph, so the separate purposes of describing the defects and explaining the urgency are not visually distinguished. The list of problems is also joined in a single sentence with “and” and “lastly,” which makes it feel crowded. Use two or three paragraphs and clearer transitions, such as “In addition” and “As a result,” to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a complaint, including “highly disappointed,” “material quality,” “replacement order,” and “urgent basis.” These choices communicate the main concerns clearly. Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, however: “the designs and material they have” is vague, while “pulled apart little bit from the side” does not describe the damage idiomatically. There are also spelling errors in “immidiate,” and “haldi ceremony” may be unfamiliar to an international reader without a brief explanation. Choose more precise complaint vocabulary and check spelling; for example, describe the garment as “seam has come undone” and refer to the event as a pre-wedding ceremony.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes both simple and more developed sentence forms, and the meaning remains clear throughout. For example, the sentence explaining that the ceremony takes place in three days gives a useful reason for the request. Some grammatical errors remain: “it did not matched” should be “it did not match,” “the designs … doesn't match” needs plural agreement (“don’t match”), and “friends who needs” should be “friends who need.” The phrase “according the image” also needs the preposition “to,” and “pulled apart little bit” is missing an article. Review verb forms after “did,” subject–verb agreement, and articles. Breaking the long sentence listing defects into shorter sentences would also help you control accuracy.

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

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