Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-18

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/Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction with recent purchase that I have made from your city centre location at yyz. I bought a black colour, leather jacket with two pockets on sides and zipper lining on the arms.

To begin with, as soon as I reached at my place, was trying to style it for the party, Then I realized that , there was malfunction with the zipper. This situation worsened when I tried to reach customer service in the store in regards to exchange or return, I was told that, on sale products are non-returnable and non-refundable, which was not mentioned at the time of purchase.

I would really appreciate, If you could look into this matter and issue me a refund or replacement as soon as possible. I believe this is the only way to tackle this concern. I have attached the official receipt as a proof of purchase for further enquiries.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

With regards,

hduyf

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the problem with the jacket is described, the interaction with the store staff is explained, and a clear request for a refund or replacement is made. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the ideas are developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task. No parts of the prompt were omitted, and the response maintains a consistent focus on the issue throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the purchase to the problem, the store interaction, and finally the desired resolution. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'This situation worsened', and 'I believe' are used to link ideas, although some transitions are slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body, and conclusion, which helps the reader navigate the text effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some attempts at specific vocabulary, such as 'malfunction' and 'non-refundable'. However, there are minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'reached at my place' (should be 'reached home') and 'style it for the party' (which is slightly informal). The range is sufficient to communicate the situation, but lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a recent purchase', 'a black colour') and punctuation (unnecessary commas after 'realized that' and 'told that'). There are also minor tense inconsistencies and awkward phrasing, such as 'was trying to style it'. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and punctuation would improve the accuracy.

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

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