Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-14
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 4.5)
dear m'aam
hello , i want to talk with you about my delivery.
i'm not satisfied at all by your services and your dress. When i see the dress online it think it would be a masterpiece breath -taking dress . However , i founded it -unfortunately - so legit , transparent, and very short in contrast of what i wait for . Adding to that ,the deliver worker is so rude and irrespective . he shouted at me and refused to listen to my review. I' m so shocked and that makes me so sad and also mad at the same time . And i have a question: why do you refuse to respond my calls and my text messages on Facebook and Instagram.
Sorry,but if you don't respond to my email soon adnf explain everything to me , I'll sue your website without hesitation because it'not fair at all to buy a dreamy dress and find that it is devastated!
I'm waiting for your response soon
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5
The letter communicates dissatisfaction with the dress and delivery experience, and it gives a reason for urgency indirectly through the threat to take legal action if the company does not respond. However, the task is only partially addressed: there are no clear purchase details such as the item’s order date, price, or order number, and the writer does not explain why a replacement is urgently needed. The problem is described, but the focus shifts to the courier’s behaviour and unanswered social-media messages rather than clearly requesting a replacement. To strengthen the response, state the purchase details, specify what is wrong with the garment, and explain the time-sensitive need for a replacement in a clear, appropriately firm request.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The ideas are presented in a broadly understandable order: dissatisfaction is introduced, the dress and delivery problems are described, and the writer ends by asking for a response. Some linking phrases, such as “However” and “Adding to that,” help connect points. Nevertheless, the letter is largely one continuous block, so the purchase, product complaint, and requested action are not clearly separated. The sequence also shifts abruptly from the dress to the courier and then to social-media contact, while “I have a question” does not smoothly introduce the complaint about unanswered messages. Use short paragraphs and clearer transitions, and finish with a specific request for a replacement and a response by a stated time.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The writer uses a range of vocabulary to express strong dissatisfaction, including “shocked,” “rude,” and “refused,” and attempts more vivid language such as “breath-taking.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural and make the complaint less clear: “so legit” does not convey the intended problem, “irrespective” is not the right description of the delivery worker, and “devastated” does not naturally describe a dress. Spelling and word-form errors, including “breath-taking” and “founded,” also reduce precision. Choose direct, conventional complaint vocabulary and accurate descriptions of the garment, such as “transparent,” “too short,” or “not as advertised.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a contrast with “However” and a conditional sentence beginning “if you don't respond.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but frequent errors in sentence construction, verb forms, articles, and punctuation make the writing less controlled. For example, “When i see the dress online it think” has an unclear subject and tense, while “why do you refuse to respond my calls” lacks the required preposition. Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “dear m'aam” and “Sorry,but.” Review basic sentence patterns, use consistent past tense for the purchase experience, and proofread each sentence for complete clauses and punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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