Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-29

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 draw your attention on issue I faced yesterday when I tried to make return of damaged jacket from the store.

To begin with, I bought a new jacket from your store yesterday. Although I checked the jacket on my trail, I found out right shoulder was torn when I reached home. Similarly, the visible threads coming out from the fabric when seen in bright light which made me even more dissatisfied with the experience.

Moving forward, when I approached one of the team members, he not only refused to take responsibility but also claimed that the jacket is non-refundable. Also, I would like to report customer service i received from your staff upon asking for return. This demonstrates the unaccountability and lack of professionalism in resolving issues.

However, I would like to accept exchange of item for any inconvenience occurred. If there is any policies regarding returns or the item is currently unavailable, alternatively, full refund would be appreciated.

Thanks

Regards

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described the damage to the jacket, explained the negative interaction with the staff, and clearly stated your desired outcome (an exchange or refund). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opening statement is more precise; for example, instead of 'make return of damaged jacket', you could say 'request a return for a defective item'. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moving forward', and 'However' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The referencing is generally clear, though there are minor issues with article usage (e.g., 'on issue' instead of 'on an issue') which slightly disrupts the flow. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dissatisfied', 'unaccountability', and 'professionalism'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'on my trail' (likely meaning 'when I tried it on') and 'visible threads coming out' (which could be phrased more naturally as 'frayed stitching'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over common collocations and preposition usage to reach the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly regarding articles ('the jacket is non-refundable' vs 'the policy is non-refundable') and missing determiners ('on issue' should be 'on an issue'). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences are slightly awkward in their construction. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles in formal writing.

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