Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-22

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 5.5)

Dear sir, I were bought some clothes from your company, at 12th april address by sialkot. I recived my parcel yesterday, when i opened it i saw some some clothes were not my desiresd order. It is totally different from my order. i am very disappointed to your company. It is my first experience and totally ruin my all wishes which i was expected. It is a bag with yellow colur and dress of lawn with antique brown. Nevertheless now my parcel is entire different from my order. I reckon the parcel is changed from another .moreover, I recived a wrong parcel. so, please this parcel take from me and send my accurate parcel which is replaced by another one. I need my desired order urgently because , I wear this dress in a familt function . Please take the huryy action on my mail. Additionaly, solved my problem as soon as possible. I am very greatful to you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three required points: you identify the purchase and delivery, explain that the items differ from what you ordered, and request a replacement because you need the dress for a family function. The details about the yellow bag and brown lawn dress help make the complaint relevant. However, some information is unclear or under-developed: “at 12th april address by sialkot” does not clearly identify when or how the purchase was made, and you do not specify what the parcel actually contained. The urgency is stated, but adding the date of the function would make the reason more convincing. A clearer, more complete account of the order and the requested remedy would strengthen the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The ideas are generally related to the complaint, and the reader can follow the broad sequence from purchase to problem and request. However, the response is presented as one long paragraph, so the purchase details, description of the mistake, and urgent request are not clearly separated. Several linking expressions, including “Nevertheless,” “moreover,” and “so,” are used mechanically or do not show the relationship between ideas accurately. The repeated statements that the parcel is wrong also interrupt progression. Organise the letter into short paragraphs and use clear links such as “When I opened the parcel” and “As I need the dress for a family function” to guide the reader more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to a complaint, including “parcel,” “disappointed,” “replacement,” and “urgently,” and the colour and fabric details help identify the order. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the message difficult to understand, such as “not my desiresd order,” “ruin my all wishes,” and “take the huryy action.” Spelling errors such as “recived,” “colur,” and “greatful” also reduce clarity and professionalism. Aim for precise, conventional phrases used in formal complaints, and check spelling carefully. For example, state that the items “do not match my order” and ask the company to “arrange an urgent replacement.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The letter attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, and the main message is usually recoverable. However, verb forms and sentence construction are often inaccurate: “I were bought” should be “I bought,” while “when i opened it i saw” needs clearer punctuation and capitalisation. There are also problems with articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries, as in “It is a bag with yellow colur and dress of lawn with antique brown.” Some clauses are joined in ways that make their relationships unclear. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use past tense for the purchase and delivery, followed by present tense for your request. Careful punctuation will also make the letter easier to read.

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

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