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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter to inform you regarding A jacket that I purchased from the store, had some issue with the quality.

I came to store for shopping on 14th of august. I bought a black leather jacket which looked nice to me. But later on when I came back home, I noticed that some buttons were missing and some parts of jacket are damaged.

Although I attempted to return that jacket the same day , my request was denied by the store. Additionally, I was told That Products are non-returnable unfortunately which I did not expected. As compare to other stores, your return policy is different

Consequently, I would like to recommend you to change the return policy. If the issue is genuine and customer seems honest, please accept that merchandise as a return. Hope you can look in to that further and help customer from now onwards.

yours faithfully,

Priyansh Raval.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the jacket's defects, explaining the store's refusal to accept a return, and stating your desired outcome. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the damage is brief, and the request for the manager to change the store's policy is a bit unconventional for a standard complaint letter, which would typically focus on a refund or exchange for the specific item. To improve, ensure your ideas are fully extended and focused on resolving the specific issue at hand.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your narrative. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Additionally', and 'Consequently' to link your ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes slightly mechanical or misused, such as the transition into the final paragraph. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the logical progression from the problem to the desired solution is smoother and more professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'merchandise', 'genuine', and 'purchased'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'had some issue with the quality' (should be 'had some issues' or 'a quality issue') and 'did not expected' (should be 'did not expect'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning common collocations related to retail and customer service, and pay closer attention to verb forms and tense consistency.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'I came to store' (missing article 'the'), 'some parts of jacket are damaged' (missing article 'the'), and 'customer seems honest' (missing article 'a'). Additionally, there are issues with capitalization, such as 'A jacket' and 'That Products'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of article usage and sentence-level mechanics.

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

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