Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

Hope you are doing great!

I am Emily, one of your valued customers who prefer to buy most of the products from your online store, and I have been always satisfied by delivery services and purchases. Unfortunately, I am writing to express my dissatisfaction from one of the recent purchases from your online store. One week ago, I placed an order with Reference No. AWF[redacted phone] to buy a rose pink grown to attend the wedding of my sister to be held on the next week. I choose this dress because of its uniqueness as it had the sleeves with white lace stone work on it. Two days ago I received the package which was completely wrinkled though it was not an issue. The moment I opened the parcel, I were in shock to see the color of sleeves it was yellow in color which makes no sense with the color of my gown. Therefore, I request you to replace this gown with the actual one. As delivery takes 4 to 5 working days, I would appreciate if you could initiate the replacement as soon as possible because there is less time left in the marriage. Kindly treat this matter as urgent.

Thank you in advance for your kind co-operation and support.

Yours faithfully,

Emily

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three required points clearly. You identify the purchase with the reference number and explain that the rose-pink gown was ordered for your sister’s wedding; you then describe the mismatch between the white lace detailing expected and the yellow sleeves received. The urgency is also well supported by noting that delivery takes four to five working days and the wedding is approaching. These details make the request for a replacement convincing and the purpose remains clear throughout. To make the response even more complete, specify what action you expect the company to take—for example, confirming the replacement and arranging collection of the incorrect gown. The task is otherwise addressed fully and appropriately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a sensible sequence: you introduce yourself and the purchase, describe the defect, request a replacement, and explain the time pressure before closing politely. Linking expressions such as “Unfortunately,” “Therefore,” and “because” help show the relationships between ideas. The letter format is also clear, with an appropriate greeting and sign-off. However, nearly all the content is presented in one long paragraph, so the purchase details and complaint are not visually separated. A brief paragraph break before describing the problem, followed by another for the requested action and urgency, would improve readability. Some transitions, particularly “The moment I opened the parcel,” are understandable but could be integrated more smoothly into the sentence sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “dissatisfaction,” “Reference No.,” “replacement,” and “treat this matter as urgent.” These choices communicate the purpose effectively, and the description of the garment gives the reader useful detail. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “dissatisfaction from” would be more naturally expressed as “dissatisfaction with,” and “rose pink grown” appears to mean “rose-pink gown.” “Delivery services and purchases” is also vague in this context; “delivery service and the quality of my purchases” would be clearer. Aim for precise clothing terms and natural collocations, while keeping the polite, formal tone consistent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple and more complex sentence forms, such as the sentence explaining why the gown was chosen and the conditional request beginning “I would appreciate if…”. The meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “I were in shock” should be “I was in shock,” and “I choose this dress” should be “I chose this dress.” The opening clause “Hope you are doing great!” also omits the subject, which is less suitable in a formal letter. In “I would appreciate if you could,” include “it” after “appreciate.” Review past-tense forms and subject–verb agreement, and break up the long sentence about opening the parcel to improve control of punctuation and sentence structure.

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