Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-03

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 5.0)

Dear Sir or mam,

I would like to express my dissatisfaction with your store jacket that i purchased from your store by 26th July.

By next week, when I went to your store and discribe all the problem to your staff, they ignore my request and told me they do not have return policy. But I hade told them it was demaged when i buy bought it. I was in hurry so i didn't check it properly.

I would be appreciated if you could investigate the problem and return my jacket and so i can buy new one ou get full refund for this. for sue, you will be do the fair solution for this.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

youe faithfully

Scarlet.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the damage, explaining the staff's refusal, and requesting a resolution. 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 full exploration of the situation. To improve, you should expand on the nature of the damage and provide more detail regarding the interaction with the staff to ensure the letter meets the length requirement and demonstrates a more comprehensive response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the format. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed due to the limited length. Cohesive devices are used, but they are quite basic (e.g., 'but', 'so'). The transition between the description of the problem and the request for action is abrupt. To improve, use a wider range of linking words and phrases to connect your sentences more fluidly, such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in light of this'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message but lacks variety and precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'mam' instead of 'Madam', 'discribe' instead of 'describe', 'demaged' instead of 'damaged', and 'sue' instead of 'sure'. These errors, while not always impeding communication, indicate a need for more careful proofreading. The range of vocabulary is limited; using more specific terms related to retail and customer service would enhance the quality of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains frequent grammatical errors that affect the flow of the text. Examples include 'by 26th July' (should be 'on'), 'I hade told' (should be 'I had told'), 'I was in hurry' (should be 'in a hurry'), and 'you will be do' (should be 'you will do'). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the control over verb tenses is inconsistent. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement, and try to incorporate more complex structures like conditional sentences (e.g., 'If you could... I would be grateful').

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