Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-29

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,

I am writing this letter regarding the defective cloth received during my recent purchase from your website. Actually, my last week order includes royal blue tuxedo with white shirt and brown colour formal shoes.

All the items of the order are delivered in mentioned timeframe and in good condition but somehow among it white shirt has multiple black spots and small holes around the shoulder that are certainly did not make it fit to wear anywhere as black spots and holes are clearly visible.

I really need this shirt to be replaced and delivered on urgent basis because I have plan to wear it on my cousin's wedding schedule next week otherwise I would have followed your's company replacement procedure for changing the items.I hope you understand my situation and prioritize the action in this matter.

Waiting for your prompt and positive response.

Yours sincerely,

Rahul Kumar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three required points: you identify the order as a royal-blue tuxedo, white shirt and brown formal shoes, describe the shirt’s black spots and shoulder holes, and explain that you need it for your cousin’s wedding next week. The urgency is clear, and the request for replacement is easy to understand. However, the purchase details could be more precise, such as giving an order date or reference number, and the requested action could be stated more explicitly, including when you need the replacement by. The response is also one word below the required minimum, so ensure future letters meet the stated length while developing these details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear sequence: it introduces the complaint, gives the order details, describes the defect, and then explains the urgency before closing. This logical progression makes the purpose easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “but somehow” and “because” help connect the problem to the request, and the greeting and sign-off suit a formal letter. Some connections are less smooth, particularly “among it” and the long sentence beginning “I really need this shirt,” where several ideas run together. Separate the request, reason and expected response into clearer sentences, and use paragraph breaks to distinguish the purchase details from the complaint and requested remedy.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a complaint, including “defective,” “multiple black spots,” “small holes,” “replacement” and “prioritize.” These choices communicate the issue and its urgency, and “royal blue tuxedo” gives useful detail. Some expressions are imprecise or do not collocate naturally, such as “cloth” for a shirt, “delivered on urgent basis,” and “positive response.” “Your’s company” is also an inaccurate form. More natural customer-service wording would make the letter sound more fluent and precise. You show some awareness of formal style, but greater control of collocations and word forms is needed for consistently flexible vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “but” and a reason clause with “because.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “my last week order includes” has an incorrect time expression and verb form; “that are certainly did not make it fit” combines incompatible structures; and “I have plan” is missing the appropriate verb form. The sentence about the wedding and replacement procedure also needs clearer punctuation and sentence boundaries. Review past-tense forms for completed events, articles and verb patterns, and divide long sentences so that each clause is grammatically complete.

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

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