Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-06

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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing with regard to green leather jacket which I have purchased on last Saturday, unfortunelty this jacket is damaged beyond repair it's has big hole on shoulder. Apart from hole the colour is faded on two spots.

I have visited your store yesterday around noon and one of your support team member mentioned me they can't change or return it because of company's no refund and change policy. I totally understand your policy and I respect that but this policy is for change of mind. As I described my situation and It's not my fault that I have recevied damaged jacket. Most of time I preferred going to store for shopping but this time I have done it online that's why I was unabled to check it.

I hope you will take the necessary steps to inquire about how It's happened. As for now I would like to change the jacket. I am asking for the same jacket with same colour and size.

I look forward to your prompt reply.

Thank You,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the damage, explaining the store's refusal, and stating the desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. However, the development of ideas is slightly limited; for instance, the explanation of the store visit could be more detailed to better convey the frustration of the situation. Despite this, the purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader is left in no doubt about the writer's intentions. The response effectively covers all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the problem to the store's response and finally to the requested solution. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Apart from', 'As I described', and 'As for now', which help connect the sentences. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and occasionally mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the letter maintains a consistent flow throughout, making it easy for the reader to navigate the content.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate the situation clearly. There are some spelling errors, such as 'unfortunelty' and 'recevied', and minor collocation issues like 'support team member' instead of 'staff member'. While the range is sufficient to express the necessary information, it lacks the sophistication or precision that would characterize a higher band. The writer uses common terms effectively, but there is limited evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing with regard to green leather jacket' (missing article), 'it's has big hole' (incorrect verb form and missing article), and 'I was unabled' (incorrect word form). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices and capitalization. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures. The writer needs to focus on articles, verb agreement, and basic sentence construction to improve accuracy.

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

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