Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-10

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 6.0)

Dear Sir / Madam,

I have made an online purchase of tradional attire on Yara Collection website for my wedding. I'm highly disappointed with the purchase regarding the quality of fabric and the unprofessional stiching it came with. I expect an urgent replacement as the wedding will be in next week.

The merchandise being ordered with the online shopping is the bride's dress which is worth of 1200 dollars. It just arrived today and with the trial, I am not fully satisfied comparing to the usual purchase from your store. The fabric has not been tailored to the quality with what wedding clothing been given attention too.

My order is returned at the Ridgeway mall location of your store for fff. Wiurther inspection store manager has assured of the fix but the real problem is the time that they are unsure.And the significance of the event like wedding, I could not rely on the given timeline of 1 to 2 weeks for the tailor work.

I demand an expedite replacement of the order and assurance about the delivery before the end of this week. I will be willing to bear the expense of shipping cost associated to the urgent processing. Let me know at the earliest to this mattert. Looking forward to hearing.

Thanks for your time and kind consideration.

Regards

Serena

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: you identify the wedding dress and its price, explain concerns about the fabric and stitching, and request a replacement before the wedding. The urgency is clear in “the wedding will be in next week” and your request for delivery before the end of the week. You also give relevant context about returning the item to a store and being offered a one-to-two-week repair timeline. The purpose is therefore clear and supported with specific details. To make the response more complete and precise, clarify whether you want a replacement garment or a repair, since you mention both, and state the purchase date or order number if available. A more explicit description of the fabric or stitching defect would also strengthen the complaint.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a generally sensible progression: it introduces the purchase and dissatisfaction, gives further details, explains the repair delay, and ends with a request. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and phrases such as “The merchandise” and “The real problem” signal shifts in focus. However, some connections are unclear or awkward, particularly “My order is returned at the Ridgeway mall location” and “And the significance of the event like wedding,” which make the sequence of events harder to follow. The closing also moves abruptly from the request to “Let me know at the earliest to this mattert.” Use clearer transitions and make the relationship between the return, the manager’s offer, and your replacement request explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “purchase,” “fabric,” “replacement,” “assured,” and “urgent processing.” These choices communicate the main issue and show some range beyond basic wording. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions reduce precision, such as “unprofessional stiching,” “fabric has not been tailored to the quality,” and “bear the expense of shipping cost.” There are also spelling errors, including “tradional,” “Wiurther,” and “mattert,” which make the letter look less polished. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe the garment as having poor-quality fabric and uneven stitching, and refer to covering the additional shipping costs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both short statements and attempts at more complex sentences, such as “I will be willing to bear the expense of shipping cost associated to the urgent processing.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and control. Examples include “the wedding will be in next week,” “It just arrived today and with the trial,” and “they are unsure,” where articles, prepositions, and sentence construction need attention. The sentence beginning “And the significance of the event” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Review article use and sentence boundaries, and make sure each clause has a clear subject and verb. More accurate control of these patterns would make the request easier to read.

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

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