Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-01

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.

My name is Ashwani. I am writing this letter to bring my concern. I recently bought some clothing online from your website. I am not satisfied from my purchase.

Firstly, I bought some clothing which includes pair of PJ sets, a black trouser, white and pink shirt, and white sneakers. I placed an order on your website on Tuesday. The total purchase amount is $200. I paid through my credit card.

Moreover, the quality of clothes is very bad. I got white trouser instead of black, and a black shirt rather than white and pink two different colours. I did not get sneakers in my whole order. I already pay for everthing. This time my experience is very disappointing. I am not satisfied from your service.

Lastly, I want replacement urgently. Next week I will go out of city. I am not sure about my return date. So, I want to exchange it as soon as possible. I hope you will understand.

Best regards,

Ashwani

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three required points: you identify the clothing ordered, explain the incorrect colours and missing sneakers, and request an urgent replacement because you will be out of the city next week. The purchase details, including the order day and $200 payment, make the situation clear, and the purpose remains consistent. To strengthen the response further, make the requested remedy more precise: specify whether you expect the company to replace the incorrect items and send the missing sneakers, and state a preferred deadline. The reason for urgency is relevant, but “I am not sure about my return date” could be linked more explicitly to why delivery before your departure is essential. Overall, the task is covered clearly, with some details that could be developed further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: you introduce the complaint, list the purchase, describe what went wrong, and finish with the urgent request. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, while markers such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “Lastly” guide the reader through the letter. The progression is easy to follow, although the repeated statements “I am not satisfied from my purchase” and “I am not satisfied from your service” add little after the specific problems have been explained. Some transitions feel formulaic rather than naturally connected. You could improve flow by grouping the order details and errors together, then moving directly to the requested solution and deadline. The overall organisation is logical, with some room for more flexible cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the complaint, including “purchase,” “quality,” “replacement,” and “exchange,” and the reader can identify the items and problems. However, the range is limited and several choices or combinations are unnatural: “bring my concern,” “not satisfied from,” and “go out of city” do not sound idiomatic in this context. There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “everthing,” and “clothing” is repeated where more precise terms such as “items” or “garments” would add variety. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Aim to learn common complaint-letter collocations and check spelling before sending.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

Your sentences are generally understandable, and you use a mix of short statements and longer structures, for example, “I am not sure about my return date. So, I want to exchange it as soon as possible.” Some grammatical errors remain. In “I recently bought some clothing online,” the sentence is accurate, but “I am not satisfied from my purchase” uses an incorrect preposition; write “satisfied with.” The phrase “I already pay for everything” needs a past-tense verb (“paid”), and “Next week I will go out of city” needs an article and a more complete grammatical construction, such as “I will be out of the city.” The sentence “a black shirt rather than white and pink two different colours” is also structurally unclear. More accurate sentence patterns would improve control.

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

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