Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to you because the jacket I bought from your store was found to be damaged when I reached my home. Then I went back to the store to return it, but I was told that purchased items cannot be returned.

There are two problems which I discovered in this jacket which I bought, Firstly, there is a little discolouration on the lower back of the jacket which I think is likely from a burn. Secondly, a tear is also found under the left arm of the clothing which is making the jacket look like it was wear several times.

I immediately went back to the store when I discovered these damages. I talked to the representatives, and was told that it cannot be returned. This make me upset regarding my purchase at your store.

After all this, I would like to exchange my product if it cannot be returned. Doing this will be very helpful for me, and will not make me regret on my purchase as it was my dream jacket.

best regards,

Gurpreet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly describe the two specific defects (discolouration and a tear), explain the interaction with the store staff, and state your desired outcome (an exchange). 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 the opening and closing salutations are consistent; you began with 'Dear Sir' but the prompt suggested 'Dear Sir or Madam', and you used 'best regards' which is slightly informal for a formal complaint.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the context of the purchase to the specific problems, the previous interaction, and finally the requested solution. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'After all this' to link your ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between the description of the damage and the store's response is smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'discolouration', 'merchandise', and 'representatives' correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'regret on my purchase' (should be 'regret my purchase') and 'look like it was wear' (should be 'worn'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or precise collocations that would characterize a higher band score. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and formal verbs would enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'This make me upset' should be 'This makes me upset', and 'I reached my home' is slightly unnatural compared to 'I arrived home'. There are also issues with verb forms, such as 'it was wear' instead of 'it had been worn'. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication, and you show a reasonable level of control over basic sentence construction.

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

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