Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-09

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 / Madam

I am writing this letter to address you about the Lacoste jacket which i bought from your store last week from Crossiron mills. When i bring this jacket to home i discovered a hole in it and there was also a stains of something which i was tried to remove with a water but they were still there

After that next day i bring it back to the store and talked to the manager about the concern and he said he can't able to change it or back it i was totally disappointed by this.

Now i am writing this letter to bring your attention on this matter because i have a important function in my family i want the same pair of the jacket. i hope you would help me with this matter

your faithfully

Gurmanpreet singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the damage, explaining the store's refusal to return the item, and stating the desired outcome. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The description of the damage is brief, and the explanation of the store visit lacks detail. To improve, you should expand on the nature of the damage and provide more context regarding your interaction with the staff. Because the response is under-length, it fails to fully develop the required points, resulting in a lower score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into three short paragraphs, which is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed due to limited use of cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are often missing or repetitive (e.g., 'After that next day'). The use of paragraphing is basic, and the overall flow could be improved by using linking words such as 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'however' to connect your thoughts more logically. The structure is clear enough to follow, but it lacks the sophistication required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'bring this jacket to home' and 'back it' are unnatural and indicate a limited range of collocations. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'a stains' (should be 'stains') and 'address you about' (should be 'write to you regarding'). To achieve a higher score, you should aim for more precise vocabulary related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective,' 'refund,' 'exchange,' or 'policy.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses and articles. For example, 'i was tried to remove' should be 'I tried to remove,' and 'he can't able to' is grammatically incorrect. Additionally, there are consistent issues with capitalization (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I') and punctuation. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent tense usage, and proper sentence construction. The errors occasionally make the meaning slightly difficult to follow.

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

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