Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-17

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 hope you are doing great. I would like inform you regarding the recent purchased which was made from your superstore.

Yesterday, I purchased an stunning jacket from your store for worth of $60. I regret if I could have tried over there but the changing rooms were out of service. While returning home I observed that it was damaged under the selves.

Consequently, I rushed to the store and asked an associate to make a return for the jacket. Later, I was informed by the associate that none of the merchandise could be returned which also include my jacket. I requested him twice and thrice but he replied he couldn't.

However, I would like to request an full refund of recent purchase and also want to advice you as a store manager to trained associate regarding this kind of scenario.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would expect for your prompt response.

Best Regards,

Bhoutik Gohil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the damage, explaining the return attempt, and stating the desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is slightly limited. For instance, the description of the damage ('under the selves') is vague, and the explanation of the return attempt could be more detailed to better justify your request. Despite these minor points, the purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader understands the situation fully. To improve, ensure you provide more specific details to support your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your narrative. You use some cohesive devices like 'Consequently' and 'However' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is a bit abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences is smoother, avoiding repetitive sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'merchandise', 'prompt response', and 'consideration'. However, there are several errors in word choice and collocation that slightly hinder the natural flow. For example, 'recent purchased' should be 'recent purchase', 'an stunning' should be 'a stunning', and 'under the selves' is likely a misuse of 'sleeves'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. Focusing on correct word forms and common collocations will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I would like inform you' (missing 'to'), 'for worth of $60' (missing 'the'), and 'to trained associate' (should be 'to train the associate'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall accuracy. To improve, pay closer attention to verb forms, articles, and prepositions. Proofreading your work for these small but consistent errors will significantly enhance the quality of your writing.

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

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