Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-12

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 5.0)

Dear sir or madam,

I am writting you this letter to express my dissatisfication regarding my recent purchase from your store yeasterday it was black jacket . After arriving home i discovred that jacket has broken zipper and left side arm has tear near to the right sleeve. i would also like to raise my conscern over unsatisfactory customer service it was really terriable it did not get proper response over my concern.

i bought this jacket from your department when bought it its was in excellent condition as i am regular custmore and bought so many clothes before and had zero complains so i did not pay much attention during my last purchase but when i inpsect inpect it properly after reachreaching home i noticed those defects which really disaapointed me as its very expensive.

Moreover , when bring it back with recepit i was not addressed approrately and my return was declined without propr]

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main problem—a broken zipper and a tear—and explain that the store declined your return despite your bringing a receipt. These details address the first two bullet points, but the letter does not clearly state what you want the manager to do, such as provide a refund, replacement, or repair. The account of the return is also incomplete, ending before the reason for the refusal is explained, and the opening focuses on dissatisfaction rather than setting out a clear request. To make the response more complete, explain the store’s refusal and state a specific, reasonable outcome you expect from the manager.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: you describe the purchase and defects, then move on to the attempted return. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” help signal a shift, and the details are generally relevant to the same situation. However, the ideas are crowded into long, loosely connected sentences, and the paragraphing does not clearly separate the problem, the return experience, and your requested action. Some connections are difficult to follow, particularly the sentence beginning “i bought this jacket…” where the purchase, your customer history, and the discovery of defects run together. Use shorter sentences and distinct paragraphs, with clear transitions between each required point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt vocabulary suited to a complaint, including “dissatisfaction,” “unsatisfactory customer service,” “declined,” and “defects.” This gives the letter some range beyond basic description. However, frequent spelling errors and inaccurate or unnatural word choices make parts difficult to read, for example “writting,” “dissatisfication,” “yeasterday,” and “proper response over my concern.” Some phrases are also imprecise, such as “left side arm has tear near to the right sleeve.” Check spelling carefully and choose standard complaint-letter collocations, such as “raise a concern,” “the return was refused,” and “a tear in the left sleeve.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses and conjunctions, as in “when i got home…” and “as i am regular customer,” but sentence structures are often faulty, and errors can make the sequence of events hard to understand. Examples include “it was black jacket,” “when bought it its was,” and “when bring it back,” which show problems with articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, with several ideas joined without full stops. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check past-tense forms when describing the purchase and return. More accurate simple sentences would improve clarity before you attempt longer structures.

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

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