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)

Respected Sir/Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to express a dissatisfaction at your store with my last purchase.

The black color jacket was purchased from your store yesterday. It belongs to a Reebok brand. Even though I tried in a trial room but fail to spot the damaged stitches on the collar at that time. Hence, I visited the store again on the same day to return it.

However, the return was unapproved by the customer service manager with the argument that you are not allowed to apply refund for it. I was surprised that coming back on the same day and with bad quality of the cloth could not be accepted back.

Therefore, my kindly request you to at least replace the jacket with another same jacket or I should be provided the same amount of store credit.

I hope you understand my concern and it will be much appreciated to modify your store's return policy.

Yours faithfully,

Binay.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: describing the damaged jacket, explaining the failed return attempt, and stating the desired resolution. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although some phrasing is slightly unnatural. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To improve, ensure that the explanation of the return refusal is more precise; for example, instead of saying 'you are not allowed to apply refund', a more natural phrasing would be 'I was informed that the store policy prohibits refunds for damaged items'. Overall, the task is fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical structure, with each paragraph addressing a specific part of the instructions. The use of cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'Hence' helps to guide the reader through the narrative. However, the transition between the description of the problem and the return attempt is slightly abrupt. The paragraphing is sufficient, though the letter could benefit from a more distinct separation between the explanation of the problem and the request for action. The flow is generally smooth, and the reader can easily follow the sequence of events.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate the situation clearly. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'express a dissatisfaction' (should be 'express dissatisfaction') and 'apply refund' (should be 'issue a refund'). The use of 'Reebok brand' and 'trial room' is appropriate for the context. To reach a higher band, the writer should aim for more precise collocations and a slightly more sophisticated range of vocabulary, such as using 'defective' instead of 'damaged' or 'policy' instead of 'argument'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I tried in a trial room but fail to spot' (should be 'failed to spot') and 'my kindly request you' (should be 'I kindly request'). Additionally, 'another same jacket' is redundant; 'a replacement' would be more accurate. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of the letter. The punctuation is generally correct, and the formal opening and closing are used appropriately.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.