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 or Madam ,

I hope you are doing well.I am Eva Patel living in Orillia , Ontario. I am mailing you to express my dissatisfaction with my online purchase from your site. I recently ordered a shirt for my event at my work, as I am presenting the topic in our company's meeting which is going to be held by the end of this week.

I have ordered Dark bottle green shirt , which looks subtle in the picture on site . But, I have received whole different color which does not look Professional. Hence , I would lilke to have the replacement of the shirt with beige color instead as it looks more Professional and have less chances of color difference. Hopefully , I would not be discouraged this time as my friend has the same colored shirt.

Furthermore, I specifically ordered from your site as you provide faster delivery option. And my meeting is on the weekend , that is Friday. Can you please arrange the option of speeding up the return poilcy faster. The details of my orders and address are already in the screenshot attached in this email. Thank you so much for your support and understanding. I would appreciate an urgent delivery in this matter.

Regards ,

Eva

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points: you identify the purchase as a dark bottle-green shirt, explain that the delivered colour differs from the website image, and request a replacement because of an upcoming work meeting. The reason for urgency is clear, and the request for a beige shirt gives the company a practical solution. The details about the event and your friend’s shirt help extend the explanation. To make the response more fully developed, specify the order date or reference number in the letter itself and state a clear deadline for receiving the replacement. The attached screenshot is mentioned, but relying on it leaves some purchase details less explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: you introduce the purchase and its purpose, describe the colour problem, then explain the deadline and request faster service. Paragraphing and linking expressions such as “Hence” and “Furthermore” help the reader follow the progression. The closing is also appropriate for a formal complaint. Some connections are less smooth, however: the sentence about your friend’s shirt interrupts the explanation of the replacement, and “Can you please arrange the option of speeding up the return policy faster” combines the return and delivery processes unclearly. Grouping the requested action and delivery deadline together, and using more precise transitions, would make the letter flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a complaint, including “dissatisfaction,” “replacement,” “delivery option,” and “urgent delivery.” These choices communicate the main issue and desired outcome. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural word choices and spelling errors, such as “whole different color,” “discouraged,” “return poilcy,” and “speeding up the return policy.” “Professional” is repeated, and “subtle” does not clearly describe the colour difference you mean. Choose more precise collocations, such as describing the delivered colour as “completely different from the one shown” and asking the company to “expedite the replacement.” Proofreading spelling and avoiding repeated wording would improve control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the explanation beginning “as I am presenting” and the clause “which is going to be held by the end of this week.” Meaning remains clear overall. Some grammatical and punctuation errors are present: “I am Eva Patel living in Orillia” would be more naturally formed as “I am Eva Patel, and I live in Orillia”; “I have ordered Dark bottle green shirt” needs an article; and “it looks more Professional and have less chances” has an agreement problem. Several spaces before commas and missing spaces after full stops also affect accuracy. Review articles, subject–verb agreement, and sentence punctuation while retaining your varied sentence structures.

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