Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-28

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 am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction towards your customer service and product which I have bought from your store.

Last weekend, I went to Guess store at Guilford Mall and here I bought a denim jacket which is in a sky blue color and have brand name designed with red color thread on the left side. When I tried to show my parents at home I came to know that jacket has a small hole on right arm which is clearly visible. my badluck I didnot notice that while buying.

Yesterday, after one week I reached at same lection of your at asked customer serive to exchange return it. But unfortunately, the person was very rude and refused to take it back and said it has been one week so, you cannot

return the jachet. However, this is against the policy as a saw in the reciet recipet that customer can return or exchange within two weeks.

Here, I would like to request you that make sure your staff know the store policies and have some polite manners towards customers. I also want the to return my jachet and can come to the store on weekend.

I wish you would take immediate action. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Jagdup Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the jacket's defect is described, the negative interaction with the staff is explained, and a clear request for a resolution is made. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. However, the development of ideas is slightly hindered by some lack of clarity in the narrative, particularly regarding the return policy discrepancy. While the task is fully addressed, the response could be improved by providing more specific details about the desired outcome, such as a refund or a replacement, rather than just stating 'return my jacket'. Overall, the response meets the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Paragraphing is used to separate the different stages of the complaint, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Last weekend', and 'Yesterday' are used to link ideas. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'I reached at same lection of your at asked customer serive'. Despite these minor issues, the overall progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at using specific vocabulary related to retail, such as 'merchandise', 'policy', and 'receipt'. However, there are several spelling errors (e.g., 'reciet', 'recipet', 'jachet') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'same lection of your'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider range of precise vocabulary to reach a higher band. The tone remains consistently formal throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('at Guess store'), incorrect verb forms ('I have bought'), and preposition errors ('reached at same lection'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some issues with sentence boundaries and capitalization. While the errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions in formal writing.

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