Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-26

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 7.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the clothes that I purchased online from your website on last Friday.

I bought a deal of three polo T-shirts from your online store. All the three T-shrits that I ordered were of same size but different colour. I chose red, blue and grey colours while placing my order. I selected Large size option from the website.

The package was delivered to my home yesterday, but when I opened the parcel all three shirts were black coloured. I did not even ordered a single black T-shirt. Furthermore, the size was not matching my requirement. Extra-large clothes were delivered instead of Large sized.

I bought these cloths because I was planning to go out for picnic. I will be leaving my house after two days. Please replace these shirts as soon as possible. I have already posted the parcel to your adress. It would be highly appreciated, if you could speed-up the replacement process.

Yours faithfully,

John.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three required points clearly. You identify the purchase as three polo shirts ordered online, specify the colours and size requested, explain that black extra-large shirts arrived, and state that you need a replacement before leaving for a picnic in two days. The request to speed up the process makes your purpose clear, and the formal opening and closing suit a complaint letter. The details are sufficiently developed to explain both the error and the urgency. To make the response even more complete, clarify what you mean by “I have already posted the parcel” and include any useful order or return reference, so the company can act on the request without needing further information.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear, practical sequence: you introduce the complaint, describe what you ordered, explain what arrived, and then request an urgent replacement. Paragraphing separates the purchase details from the problem and the requested action, while connectors such as “but” and “Furthermore” help show the relationship between points. The progression is easy to follow throughout. Some links are a little mechanical, and the final paragraph moves quickly from the picnic to the parcel being posted and the request to speed up the replacement. A smoother transition, and a clearer explanation of the parcel’s status, would make the connections between these details more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and its practical details, including “polo T-shirts,” “parcel,” “replacement process,” and “Large size.” The wording is generally understandable, and the tone is appropriate for a formal request. However, there are some spelling and word-choice errors, such as “T-shrits,” “cloths,” and “adress,” as well as less natural phrases like “a deal of three” and “black coloured.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the problem, but they limit precision and naturalness. Check spelling carefully and choose standard collocations, such as “a pack of three” and “all three shirts were black.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes a mix of straightforward statements and more developed sentences, for example, “The package was delivered to my home yesterday, but when I opened the parcel…” This variety is sufficient to explain the sequence of events, and the message remains clear despite some grammatical errors. Examples include “on last Friday,” “I did not even ordered,” and “the size was not matching my requirement”; these involve preposition, verb-form, and tense choices. There are also article and number issues in “All the three T-shirts” and “were of same size.” Review past-tense forms after “did,” article use, and natural tense choices to improve accuracy while retaining your clear sentence structure.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.