Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Store Manager,

I am writing this letter to draw attention on the return policy for customers.

Yesterday, I bought a denim jacket from your store location at Thirteenth street, I found that the jacket was little ripped from the collar side. This observation was done when I reached home. So, I went back to the store immediately.

But, as I talk to the sales person, she refused to take the sold item back as she believes that the damage must have happened after she sold the jacket to me which is completely false. The reason behind that is the ripped part looks like manufacturing defect and less likely hand made.

I request you to please check into this matter. There are cameras in the store and in my opinion, one of them must have captured the footage of the ripped jacket while one your sales representatives is selling it to me.

Thank you for your help

Regards,

Maunil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the problem, explaining the return issue, and stating your desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of the return refusal is a bit brief, and the suggestion about checking camera footage is a creative but perhaps slightly unrealistic solution for a minor retail dispute. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more fully extended and that the purpose of the letter is clearly stated in the opening paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purchase to the problem, the conflict, and finally the requested action. Paragraphing is used to separate these distinct ideas, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. Transitions like 'But, as I talk to...' and 'The reason behind that is...' are functional but could be more sophisticated. Additionally, some sentences feel slightly disjointed. Improving the flow between sentences using a wider variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'denim jacket', 'manufacturing defect', and 'representatives'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'draw attention on' should be 'draw attention to', and 'less likely hand made' is not a natural way to express that the damage was not caused by the user. While your vocabulary is adequate for the task, you need to use more precise collocations and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate a higher level of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the jacket was little ripped' (should be 'a little ripped' or 'slightly ripped') and 'one your sales representatives' (missing 'of'). Additionally, the tense usage in 'as I talk to the sales person' should be in the past tense ('as I talked'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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