Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I would like to write about to return a jacket that I recently bought from your store.Inside this jacket there is a tiny hole that can lead to big hole when I will wear this jacket. While I will wash it as well.

When I tried to return it at the store one of the employees asked me that we cannot returned it because this is not in our policy to returned after buying.

I would like to request that can you please help me to return this jacket so that I can get another new jacket so that I can wear it in the marriage.

Yours Sincerely,

Raman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: describing the damage, explaining the store's refusal, and stating the desired outcome. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the brevity prevents a fully developed explanation of the situation. To improve, you should expand on the details, such as the date of purchase or the specific nature of the defect, to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive account.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into three short paragraphs, each corresponding to a specific instruction. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited. Transitions between sentences are often missing or repetitive (e.g., starting multiple sentences with 'I would like' or 'so that'). The flow is somewhat mechanical, and the lack of linking words makes the writing feel disjointed. To improve, use a wider variety of cohesive devices such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'however' to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, which restricts the ability to convey the situation with precision. For example, the word 'jacket' is used repeatedly, and phrases like 'big hole' are simplistic. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'cannot returned it' instead of 'cannot return it'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to retail and product defects, such as 'defective', 'policy', 'exchange', or 'refund'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and tense usage, such as 'can lead to big hole' (missing article), 'when I will wear' (incorrect tense), and 'cannot returned it' (incorrect verb form). These errors occur throughout the text and occasionally impede the clarity of the message. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs and tenses in formal correspondence.

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