Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The team of Amazone,

i am your customer as Sapna Machal, Actually, i just wanted to take you my purchase from you. i had an marriage of my cousion, and i just came from Canada, due to this,i had a little time to bought a new dress for that marriage. so, my cousion suggested to buy a dress from your website due to i did not have a time to go shopping in person.i searched many dresses, in which i selected 3 dresses fro them and finally decided to take 2. in which, one dress was ossum but one dresse spoil my mood because it was not fit on me. I think, the other dress was streachable but other one not.Thus, i wantto replace with onther one which i select already.Although,i could replace that one week ago but due to my cousin marriage i was not able to replace. so, please replace it with not i choose. It would be very thankfull to you for this.

Thank you!

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main situation by identifying yourself as a customer, explaining that you bought two dresses for a wedding, and stating that one did not fit and you want it replaced. The reason for urgency is partly present: the wedding is mentioned, and you say you could not arrange a replacement beforehand. However, the purchase details are incomplete because there is no order date, reference, or clear description of the item, and the urgency is not clearly explained as a current need for a replacement by a particular time. The requested replacement is also unclear in “replace it with not i choose.” Develop these points with precise details and a direct, polite request.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The letter follows a broadly understandable sequence: you introduce yourself, explain why you shopped online, describe choosing the dresses, and then request a replacement. However, the ideas are crowded into one long paragraph, so the reader has to work to follow the purchase story and the complaint. Linking phrases such as “so,” “because,” and “although” are repeated or used in ways that do not clearly show the relationship between ideas. For example, the transition from selecting three dresses to buying two is difficult to track. Use separate paragraphs for the purchase, the problem, and the urgent request, and connect each point with clearer references and transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some vocabulary relevant to the situation, including “purchase,” “replace,” “dress,” and “marriage,” so the basic purpose can be understood. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the message less clear or less appropriate for a formal complaint. “Spoil my mood” is informal and does not precisely describe the product problem, while “streachable” appears to mean that one dress had stretch fabric. There are also spelling errors such as “cousion” and “thankfull,” and “take you my purchase” is not a natural expression. Choose precise terms such as “order,” “did not fit,” and “replacement,” and check spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses, as in “I had a marriage of my cousin, and I just came from Canada,” and “Although, I could replace that one week ago…”. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in tense, articles, and sentence construction sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “i just wanted to take you my purchase from you” does not form a clear grammatical request, and “it was not fit on me” uses an incorrect structure. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, with several sentences beginning with lowercase “i” and commas placed awkwardly. Practise clear simple sentences first, then add subordinate clauses with accurate tense and punctuation.

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

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