Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-14

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,

I am writting this letter to infrom you that i was very disappoiting with your return policy at the store. Actually, i visited in your store day before yesterday and i bought a demin jacket from your store. It was blue in color and i purchased that jacket on full price which was $85 after tax.

when i reached the home, i showed this jacket to my mom suddenely she noticed that the there was a red mark on one of the jacket's sleeves. which i was not noticed during the trail time.

i went to store immediatley to return the jacket beacuse we can return the product within the 30days after purchase. However, receptionist was very friendly, she denied to return the jacket. She said there was not return policy applicable for this jacket. I was very upset on that time because she did not mention before when i was paying for that. it was $85 which is not small amount.

could you please look this matter seriously and find any alternative method to cover jacket's cost or could you provide me any vochuer or gift cards if it possible for you. I am your regualr customer. I am waiting for your positive response.

Your faithfully,

Jaspreet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: describing the damage, explaining the interaction at the store, and requesting a resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of the return policy interaction could be more detailed to better convey the frustration. While the purpose is clear and the requirements are met, the response lacks the depth of development that would elevate it to a higher band. The structure is logical, and the reader is left in no doubt about the writer's intent.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. There is a logical progression from the purchase to the discovery of the defect, the failed return attempt, and finally the request for a solution. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'However', 'Actually'). Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, such as the jump from the jacket description to the discovery of the mark. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would improve the flow and coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate the situation clearly. There are some spelling errors ('writting', 'infrom', 'demin', 'immediatley', 'vochuer', 'regualr') and minor word choice issues ('trail time' instead of 'trying it on'). While the writer attempts to use specific terms like 'merchandise' and 'policy', the range is limited. To achieve a higher score, the writer should focus on accuracy in spelling and use more precise collocations to describe the situation, such as 'manufacturing defect' or 'store policy'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include incorrect verb tenses ('which i was not noticed'), missing articles ('at the store' vs 'at store'), and punctuation errors. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. The writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions. Developing more complex sentence structures with greater accuracy would help improve this score.

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

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