Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-04

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 and Madam,

I am writing to a complaint about a three piece suit I bought last week from your online store.Unfortunately, there were some problems with the order which had caused considerable inconvenience.

I ordered a blue colour formal suit in medium size for my office event. It also had a small golden brooch for the suit. The order was placed on 28th, October by my credit card ending with 2344.

After opening the parcel,I found out that the pent and the brooch was missing. The dress was not complete. In addition, The order was supposed to deliver earlier as I was charged for fastest delivery.

However, I would appriciate if you could provide a replacement for no additional charges on urgent basis. I have an important event in the next week, where a proper dress code is mendatory. I can provide the receipt of the purchase and a vedio of missing parts of the dress while it was opened.

I look forward to hearing from you promplty.

yours faithfully.

Manisha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requirements clearly. You identify the purchase as a blue, medium-sized three-piece suit, give the order date and payment detail, explain that the trousers and brooch were missing, and request a replacement without extra charge. The urgency is also supported by the upcoming office event and its dress code, so the purpose is clear throughout. To make the response more fully developed, specify exactly when the event is and, if possible, state the delivery date you expected versus what happened; “supposed to deliver earlier” leaves this detail unclear. The offer to provide evidence is relevant, though a receipt and photographs may be more directly useful than a video. Overall, the key information is present and supported, with a few details that could be more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a sensible order: you introduce the complaint, give the purchase details, describe what was missing, and then request urgent action. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking phrases such as “Unfortunately,” “After opening the parcel,” and “In addition” guide the reader through the account. The progression is clear, although some connections could be smoother. For example, the sentence about the delayed delivery is added after the missing items without explaining whether it is a separate problem or part of the same complaint. The request and explanation of urgency are also combined in one paragraph. Use clearer transitions and separate the requested remedy from the reason it is urgent to make the organisation more polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “considerable inconvenience,” “replacement,” “urgent basis,” and “dress code.” These choices communicate the situation effectively, and the tone is generally appropriate. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “pent” should be “pants” or “trousers,” “appriciate” should be “appreciate,” and “mendatory” should be “mandatory.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “I am writing to a complaint” and “charged for fastest delivery.” Aim for accurate collocations and proofread spelling carefully. More precise wording would make the request sound more professional without requiring a much wider vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and more complex sentences, such as the relative clause in “a suit I bought last week” and the conditional request “I would appreciate if you could provide a replacement.” Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “I am writing to a complaint” needs a different construction, and “the brooch was missing” does not agree with the plural subject “the pants and the brooch.” The phrase “the order was supposed to deliver” also uses an unsuitable passive pattern; the order should be described as being delivered, or you can say you expected delivery earlier. Check articles, agreement, and verb patterns, and use punctuation consistently around sentence boundaries.

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

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