Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently bought a jacket, but when you got home, you discovered it was
damaged. When you took it back to the store, you were told that merchandise
cannot be returned.

Write a letter to the store manager. In your letter:
• describe the problem with the jacket.
• explain what happened when you tried to return it.
• say what you would like the manager to do.

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 hope you are doing well. I am a regular costmer of your store. I have bought a purple color jacket from your store day before yesterday. when I reach home and try that jacket on myself, I noticed that the left underarm of the jacket is ripped off. I did not noticed it at the store because I was in hurry and it was night time.

Next day when I went back to store to return the jacket, the employee there refused to return or exchange it because merchandise cannot be returned it is your store policy.

Might I request you to please at least exchange it if return is not in the policy. As I came back immediatly next morning to show the damage already done to my jacket. I do not want my money to be wasted.

I will look forward to your comments on this matter,

your sincerely,

Rupinder Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points: you describe the damage as a rip under the left arm, explain that the employee refused a return or exchange under the store policy, and clearly request an exchange if a refund is unavailable. Your position is consistent, and the detail that you returned the next morning supports your request. The purpose is clear throughout. To make the response more fully developed, explain what outcome you prefer if an exchange is not possible, such as a refund, and state explicitly that the jacket was damaged when purchased rather than merely saying the damage was already present. These additions would make your requested resolution more precise and persuasive while retaining the relevant content already included.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: purchase and discovery of the damage, the unsuccessful return attempt, and your request to the manager. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “Next day” and “As I came back” connect the events. The reader can follow the complaint without difficulty. Some links are less smooth, however: the sentence beginning “As I came back” is attached to the request in a way that makes the relationship between the ideas unclear, and the policy explanation runs together without punctuation. Use a separate sentence to explain why your prompt return supports your case, and connect the request and supporting reason more directly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and requested action, including “ripped off,” “refused,” “exchange,” and “store policy.” The wording is generally understandable, but several choices and spelling errors reduce precision and naturalness. “Purple color jacket” is an awkward collocation, while “ripped off” can suggest that a piece was removed rather than that the fabric was torn. There are also misspellings such as “costmer” and “immediatly.” Choose more precise clothing-related language and check spelling carefully. A broader range of formal complaint vocabulary, used accurately, would make the letter sound more polished and appropriate for a manager.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple statements and attempts at more complex sentences, such as “When I reach home and try that jacket on myself, I noticed…” and “As I came back immediately next morning…”. However, these longer constructions are not controlled consistently. Tense shifts from “reach” to “noticed,” and “I did not noticed” uses the wrong verb form after “did.” Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “went back to store” and the run-on explanation of the return policy. These errors are noticeable and sometimes make the relationships between ideas less clear, although the main message remains understandable. Practise past-tense narration and build complex sentences with clear clauses and punctuation.

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

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