Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-21

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about the clothing item that I recently purchased from your online store.

I purchased the item on 5th of October and arrived about 6 days after which as I expected. When I opened the packaging, their has so many problems and I noticed that it has some major damages. Furthermore, the size and color of the clothing item was not same as I expected because I ordered size large and color green but the item that arrived was size medium and color blue. As a result, it made me very disappointed and I felt stressed.

I needed to use this clothing item as soon as possible because I have an special event for my sister. I would like you to replace for the item that you gave me. However, if you cannot provide it I would like to request a full refund. I could also provide the receipts whenever necessary.

I am hoping for you prompt response. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Wilson Banuelos

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requirements: you identify the purchase date and delivery, explain that the garment was damaged and the wrong size and colour, and request a replacement or refund. The reason for urgency is also clear: you need it for your sister’s special event. These details make the complaint purposeful and easy to understand. To strengthen the response further, give a little more precise information about the item or order, and make the urgency more explicit—for example, state when the event is and request delivery before that date. The request is clear, although the explanation of why a replacement is needed urgently could be developed more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear sequence: purpose, purchase and problems, requested action, and closing. Paragraphing supports this progression, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “As a result,” and “However” help connect the points. The reader can follow the complaint without difficulty. Some connections are less smooth, particularly the transition from the item’s defects to your emotional reaction, and “However” does not create a strong contrast between the replacement request and the refund alternative. You could improve cohesion by grouping the defects together and then moving directly to the remedy, using a more precise link such as “If a replacement cannot arrive in time, I would accept a refund.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and desired outcome, including “major damages,” “full refund,” and “prompt response.” The wording is generally understandable, but the range is somewhat limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural. For example, “their has so many problems” and “replace for the item” do not express the intended meaning idiomatically; “damaged” and “replace the item” would be more natural. “Clothing item” is also repeated, where “garment” or the specific item name could add variety. Aim for precise customer-service language and natural collocations, while checking spelling and word forms such as “there” and “special.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple sentences and longer structures, such as the sentence beginning “Furthermore,” which combines several details about the order. Meaning remains clear overall, but some grammatical errors occur in basic patterns. For example, “I purchased the item … and arrived” lacks a clear subject for “arrived”; “their has” has incorrect subject–verb form; and “an special event” uses the wrong article. There are also problems with the construction “I would like you to replace for the item.” Review sentence subjects, articles before nouns, and verb patterns after “would like.” More accurate control of these forms, alongside the sentence variety already attempted, would make the letter more polished.

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

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