Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Mr Smith,

I hope you're well. I am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction for the customer service that I received from one of your location at Greenbank street. I bought this jacket two days ago. I was in a hurry, and forgot to check properly. It has lot of scratches at the back and has a permanent mark on shoulders.

When I tried to wear this jacket for the first time. My mother noticed these wear and tear. I went back to the same outlet, the Sales representative refused me to return, amd blamed me that It's my responsibility to check before I paid. It is clearly mentioned on the website that every item comes with 3 months of warranty.

I would appreciate it if you could take this problem into consideration at your earliest convenience. Please issue me a refund or exchange with same size and colour. I hope appropriate remedial measures will be taken to resolve this issue promptly.

I look forward to hearig from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Gurdeep Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the damage is described, the negative interaction with the staff is explained, and the desired outcome is clearly stated. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The ideas are well-developed, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. The response follows the required structure and maintains a consistent focus on the task requirements throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the introduction to the problem, the store experience, and finally the requested action. Cohesive devices such as 'When I tried to', 'It is clearly mentioned', and 'I would appreciate it if' are used effectively to link ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for a formal letter, using terms like 'dissatisfaction', 'remedial measures', and 'earliest convenience'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'refused me to return' (should be 'refused to accept the return') and 'exchange with same size' (should be 'exchange for the same size'). Despite these minor slips, the range is sufficient to convey the message clearly and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'one of your location' (should be 'locations'), 'It has lot of scratches' (should be 'a lot of'), and 'I look forward to hearig' (spelling error). Additionally, some punctuation and article usage could be improved. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the text.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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