Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-26

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 6.0)

dear Sir,

hope you are doing well. i am writing this letter to complaint about the incident that happened with me in you store last week.

I visited you store last week and i bought a Jacket in blue color with Zara brand. it costs $250 with any discount,

unfortunately i could not check it thoroughly at store because of crowded place then I noticed at home that this item was defected as it has a pocket with a big hole and also missed the logo at the back neck.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 90 words long. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you have identified the problem with the jacket, the explanation of the return attempt is incomplete, and you have failed to state what you would like the manager to do, which is a key requirement of the prompt. To improve, you must ensure all bullet points are fully developed and that you meet the length requirement to allow for a full exploration of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter lacks proper paragraphing, which is essential for a formal letter. The ideas are presented in a single block, making the flow difficult to follow. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences, such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'however'. To improve, you should structure your letter into clear paragraphs: an introduction, a body paragraph for the problem and return attempt, and a concluding paragraph for your requested action. Using transition words will help guide the reader through your argument more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You use basic terms like 'bought' and 'big hole'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'defected' (should be 'defective') and 'missed the logo' (should be 'missing the logo'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to retail and product quality, such as 'faulty', 'unsatisfactory', or 'requesting a refund'. Expanding your range of adjectives and nouns will help convey your message with greater clarity and professionalism.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with capitalization ('i' instead of 'I'), article usage ('at store' instead of 'at the store'), and verb tense consistency. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. For example, 'it costs $250 with any discount' is unclear and grammatically incorrect. Focusing on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and correct punctuation will significantly improve the readability and accuracy of your writing.

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