Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to bring to your attention that recently, I bought a black color jacket from your store, but after arriving at home, I noticed that it was damaged.

During my purchase, I did not notice the tiny holes in the jacket. When I worn this leather jacket, it was also torn from arm.

I was extremely disappointed with customer service because when I asked Mr. John, a salesperson of store to either replace the jacket with new one and refund me. He refused and behaved rude with me, which was really unexpectated.

In light of this issue, I would suggest that you consider making some improvements in your customer service by training your staff to deal with customers politely. Please could you help me to exchange the jacket or give me my money back as soon as possible. I hope you will take immediate steps to rectify the situation.

I trust this matter will be resolved promptly. I would appreciate your immediate attention to this issue.

Yours faithfully,

Ramandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three required points and maintains a clear, appropriate purpose. You describe the jacket’s tiny holes and the tear in the arm, explain that the salesperson refused your request, and ask the manager to exchange it or refund your money. The request is clear and the complaint is relevant throughout. The suggestion to improve staff training adds a reasonable response to the poor service, although the account of the return attempt could be more precise—for example, state explicitly that the store’s policy was that merchandise could not be returned. Developing that detail and briefly clarifying when or how you bought the jacket would make the account more complete and better supported, while preserving the effective overall coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: it introduces the purchase and damage, describes the attempted return, then makes a request and closes politely. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “During my purchase” and “In light of this issue” signal relationships between ideas. The final two sentences, however, repeat the request for prompt attention (“as soon as possible,” “immediate steps,” and “immediate attention”), so the ending feels somewhat over-emphatic. Some links between details could also be smoother: the sentence about the salesperson combines the refusal and rude behaviour with the request itself. Separating these points and using a more direct transition would make the cohesion more flexible and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “bring to your attention,” “customer service,” “refund,” and “rectify the situation.” These choices communicate the problem and desired outcome clearly, and the tone is generally suitable. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “black color jacket,” “torn from arm,” and “behaved rude” do not sound idiomatic, while “unexpectated” is misspelled. “A black jacket,” “torn at the arm,” and “behaved rudely” would be more natural. The phrase “new one” also needs an article in this context. Greater control of common complaint-letter expressions would improve precision and polish without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple statements and more complex forms, such as the sentence beginning “I was extremely disappointed with customer service because…” and the polite request “Please could you help me…”. Meaning remains clear overall, but some grammatical errors persist. In “When I worn this leather jacket,” the past-tense form should be “wore”; “a salesperson of store” needs an article or possessive construction; and “to either replace the jacket with new one and refund me” has an incorrect parallel structure and missing article. The sentence beginning “because when I asked…” is also awkwardly joined and would be clearer as two sentences. Revising these patterns would increase the number of accurate sentences and strengthen control of complex structures.

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

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