Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-02

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 you to inform about the suit, which I had bought online from your site two weeks ago along with the prepaid delivery charges. I also paid the premium fees to get the fast delivery and exchange option.

I have received the package yesterday evening, and after opening I found out the size of the suit delivered to me is wrong. As I had ordered the medium size, but I received the XL size, due to which I need it to be exchanged now.

Since, I needed the suit for my cousin's weeding ceremony, who is getting married after four days. So, I need my correct size as soon as possible, because I also need to try it out to check if it need any additional alterations.

Thankyou,

Looking forward to hearing from you soon,

AMRITPAL SINGH DHILLON

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three requested points: you identify the suit and online purchase, explain that you ordered medium but received XL, and give the wedding in four days as the reason for urgency. The request for an exchange is clear, and the details make the situation easy to understand. However, the urgency could be developed more fully by stating a specific action or deadline you expect from the company, such as dispatching the correct size immediately. The response also falls 8 words short of the required 150-word minimum. Add a little more relevant detail—for example, your order number or the exchange arrangement you are requesting—to meet the requirement and strengthen the letter’s purpose.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a sensible sequence: purchase details, the delivery problem, and the reason you need a replacement quickly. This gives the reader a clear progression, and phrases such as “Since” and “So” help connect the explanation of urgency. The main weakness is that the final section is compressed into a sentence fragment beginning “Since,” followed by “So,” which makes the links feel less controlled. The closing is also split across separate lines without a conventional sign-off. Use a complete sentence to connect the wedding date and the need for time to try on the suit, then finish with a standard closing such as “Yours faithfully.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for this complaint and includes useful task-specific terms such as “prepaid delivery charges,” “premium fees,” “exchange,” and “alterations.” These choices communicate the situation clearly, and the reader can understand the problem without difficulty. Some expressions, however, are imprecise or do not fit the intended meaning naturally: “inform about the suit” and “fast delivery” could be expressed more idiomatically, while “weeding ceremony” appears to be a spelling error for “wedding ceremony.” “Thankyou” should also be written as two words. More precise customer-service language would improve flexibility and control, for example, “notify you about my order” and “expedited delivery.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the explanation of the size error and the reason for urgency. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors reduce accuracy. In “As I had ordered the medium size, but I received the XL size,” the opening clause is incorrectly joined to the main clause; write “I had ordered a medium, but received an XL.” “Since, I needed…” is also an incomplete dependent clause, and “if it need” should be “if it needs.” There are also article and phrasing issues in “after opening” and “I am writing you.” Aim to produce complete, well-linked sentences and check subject–verb agreement and articles.

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

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