Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-13

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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to inform you about the problem with the product, which I bought 3 days a ago from your store.

I purchase a black colour leather jacket from the store. I did not properly check the jacket at the time of purchase because store was to crowded and trial rooms are full.When I reached home I checked the jacked and I found out that jacket has a big hole inside the left sleve.Therefore, I went back to the store to return it but they said it was purchased on sale and cannot be returned.

I bought this jacked for a sawat tour with my friends on bike and we are leaving in 2 days. Therefore I requet you to kindly return the jacket and give me full refund by tomorrow. So I can buy a new jacket from other store. I am looking forward from hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Raza khan taimori

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the defect, explaining the failed return attempt, and stating the desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of why the return was refused is brief, and the request for a refund is stated quite abruptly. To reach a higher band, you could provide more detail about the store's policy or the specific nature of the damage to make the narrative more convincing. Despite this, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements of the task are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purchase to the problem, the failed return, and finally the request. Paragraphing is present, though the structure is slightly disjointed due to the short, simple sentences. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Therefore' and 'because', but they are somewhat repetitive. The flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between the description of the problem and the request for a refund is smoother. Overall, the message is easy to follow, but the management of cohesion is somewhat mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the necessary information. You use some topic-specific terms like 'merchandise', 'refund', and 'purchase'. However, there are several spelling errors ('sleve', 'requet', 'jacked') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'sawat tour' and 'from other store'. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, but they do limit the score. To improve, focus on mastering the spelling of common words and using more precise collocations to describe your situation, such as 'defective item' instead of 'problem with the product'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as '3 days a ago', 'store was to crowded', and 'trial rooms are full' (tense inconsistency). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as missing spaces after periods. While you attempt to use complex sentences, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and tense usage is noticeable. To improve, you should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage when describing past events, and proofreading for minor slips that occur when writing under pressure.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.