Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-01

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,

I am writing to express my concern on a the product I recently purchased from one of your store outlet. I bought a black long sleeves jacket among out things but on getting home, I noticed that the zip on jacket isn't working properly.

The next day I went back to the store to have it fixed or replaced but to my greatest pain, the store keeper refused on account that the company policy dose not permit return of products after sale have been made.

As a manage and one that has a higher permission role, I humbly ask that you should use your office right to look into my case and walk me th

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the defect, explaining the refusal of the return, and stating the desired outcome. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of the ideas. The final sentence is incomplete, leaving the request for action unfinished. Because the task is not fully completed due to the word count and the abrupt ending, the score is restricted.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure, beginning with the purpose of the letter and moving through the narrative of the problem. However, the paragraphing is inconsistent, and the abrupt ending disrupts the flow of the text. Cohesive devices are used sparingly, such as 'The next day' and 'As a manage', but the lack of completion makes the overall progression feel disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, though there are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'one of your store outlet' (should be 'outlets') and 'on account that' (should be 'on the grounds that'). The phrasing is functional but lacks the range or precision required for higher bands. Spelling errors like 'dose' for 'does' also detract from the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing contains several grammatical errors, including article misuse ('a the product'), subject-verb agreement issues ('company policy dose'), and awkward phrasing ('on getting home'). While the meaning is generally clear, the sentence structures are relatively simple, and the incomplete final sentence prevents a full assessment of grammatical control. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly regarding the opening salutation and paragraph breaks.

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