Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-11

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 Mr. Peter,

I am writing this letter concerning my frustrating experience at your store located in the Gala Mall.

Although I have been a satisfied client for several years, my recent experience was quite disappointing. I purchased a leather jacket , which was listed at discounted price. Unfortunately the jacket I bought was very poor in quality. The zipper was not working properly and the stitching at the right arm is also ripped, therefore I am not able to wear it for the occasion I particularly bought it for.

Furthermore, when I went back to the store in order to return the product, the staff completely denied my request by claiming it to be a wear and tear issue. Additionally, I requested them if they can simply replace the item, but again to my disappointment they refused to exchange the item.

I have never expected such inconvenience from a reputed firm like yours. I would really appreciate it if you could look into this matter and get my defected items either replaced or return.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Tim Cook

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly described the defects (zipper and stitching), explained the staff's refusal to help, and stated your desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are fully integrated; for example, you could have briefly mentioned the date of purchase to add more specific detail to your complaint, which would further enhance the professional tone.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You use paragraphing effectively to separate the introduction, the description of the problem, the account of the store visit, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Furthermore', and 'Additionally' are used to link sentences and paragraphs. The flow is smooth and the reader can easily follow your argument. To improve, ensure that the transition between the store's refusal and your request for action is slightly more fluid, perhaps by using a concluding sentence for the second body paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'frustrating experience', 'reputed firm', and 'look into this matter' are appropriate for a formal complaint. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as using 'defected' instead of 'defective' and 'return' as a noun in the final paragraph where 'a refund' would be more precise. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations would help elevate the score to the next level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'the stitching... is also ripped' (should be 'are' or 'has ripped') and 'I requested them if they can' (should be 'I asked them if they could'). Punctuation is generally good, though there is a minor spacing issue before the comma after 'jacket'. These errors do not impede communication, but more consistent control over tense agreement would improve the accuracy.

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

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