Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-24

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 am writing to this letter to complaint about a product which buy from your store.

Actually, Yesterday I visited your store for purchase a jacket. Your salesman Showed me many article but I like black adidas's jacket. When I was check the size Than I forget to check the Zip. When I was come to back home and tried again than I noticed the zip was broken.

After I visited your store back again the same day to return this jacket. But your store salesman mentioned we cannot take return and replacement after the sale any item. This is not fair as you mention in your store guidelines when any costumer receive faulty items. They can return back and take refund back if same article or size not available. It my huge mistake because I forgot to check zip when I was buy the item.

I want to you for a replacement if available same item. Otherwise you can refund my amount back.

Yours Faithfully,

Vijay

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the problem with the jacket, the failed attempt to return it, and the desired resolution. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although the language is sometimes simplistic. The purpose is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the explanation of the store's refusal could be more detailed to better reflect the frustration of the situation. Despite this, the response covers all requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'When I was...', 'After I visited...'). There are also some issues with sentence-level cohesion, such as the abrupt transition between the description of the problem and the return attempt. While the overall progression is clear, the lack of varied linking words and occasional awkward phrasing prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of awkward word choice, such as 'I am writing to this letter to complaint' (should be 'complain') and 'Your salesman Showed me many article' (should be 'articles'). The student relies on basic vocabulary and makes errors in word form and collocation. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and the errors occasionally draw attention to the language rather than the message.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Common issues include incorrect verb tenses ('I was check', 'I was come to back home'), missing articles, and subject-verb agreement errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and sentence boundaries. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and suggest a lack of control over complex structures.

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