Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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,

I am writing to express my dissatfisfication with your product that i bought through online website.

Last week, i was browsing on your website and i saw an outlet that catch my attention. It was a top in light blue color. I odered this top in small size but i got the wrong color and size. When i recieved my oder then i realised that it got the wrong size and color.

I would appericate if you replace my oder at your earliest convenience because i odered this for a function that is going to held on this week on saturday. Please, let me if you can deliver the replacement before saturday. If it is not possible then please issue my full refund.

Thank you for your time.

your sincerely,

Sukh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three required points: you identify the purchase as a light-blue top in a small size, explain that the delivered item was the wrong colour and size, and state that you need it for a function on Saturday. The request for a replacement, with a refund as an alternative, makes your purpose clear. However, the purchase details are quite general, and the urgency is only briefly explained; adding an order date or reference and clarifying why the event makes the deadline important would develop the message further. The response is also 17 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space to explain the problem and request in full. The main purpose remains clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible sequence: you introduce your complaint, describe what you ordered and received, then request a replacement and explain the deadline. This makes the message easy to follow, and the closing is appropriate. The ideas are mostly presented in one continuous block, however, so clearer paragraphing would help distinguish the purchase details from the requested action. Some links are also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “then” in the delivery explanation. You could improve flow by grouping related information and using a clearer transition such as “On receiving the parcel, I discovered…” The overall organisation is coherent, though cohesion is not yet consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the complaint, including “replacement,” “wrong color and size,” and “full refund.” However, the range is limited, and several spelling errors are noticeable, such as “dissatfisfication,” “odered,” “recieved,” and “appericate.” These errors make the letter look less polished and can briefly slow the reader. Some expressions are also imprecise: “an outlet” does not clearly identify the clothing item, and “your product” is less specific than naming the top. Aim for accurate spelling and more precise complaint vocabulary. For example, “item” or “garment” would be clearer than “outlet,” while “defective order” is not appropriate here because the issue is an incorrect delivery.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the main message using a mix of simple sentences and some longer structures, including “I would appreciate if you replace my order… because…” This shows an attempt to explain a reason and make a polite request. Some grammatical errors remain, though the meaning is generally understandable. For example, “a function that is going to held” needs a passive form (“is going to be held”), and “please let me if” is missing “know.” The sentence beginning “When I received my order…” also has an unclear pronoun reference in “it got the wrong size and color.” Practise accurate request forms and passive constructions, and check sentence punctuation and capitalisation.

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