Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-19

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 or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to explain my situation, and I am hoping to find a solution. Recently, I bought a jacket from your store in Guelph for about $100; the product code is [redacted phone]. I was very excited to purchase it, and I was about to try it on at home when I noticed the jacket was damaged. Unlikely, there was a hole in the jacket, and the color also faded. Moreover, when I took it back to the store, honestly, your staff was very rude to me; an employee told me that they would not be able to return it because it was already sold out. After that, they went back to work as if nothing happened.

I would like you to do something about this situation. Either you can give me a refund or a replacement for this product at your convenience. I look forward to your response.

Thank you,

Shraddha.

Furthermore,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly described the damage to the jacket, explained the negative interaction with the store staff, and stated your desired resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details about the 'faded color' or the 'rude' behavior to make the narrative more compelling and fully developed. However, the purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader is left in no doubt about the situation or your expectations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the description of the problem from the proposed solution. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'After that' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to create a smoother transition between sentences, such as 'Furthermore' or 'Consequently', rather than relying on simple chronological markers. Overall, the message is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'merchandise', 'refund', and 'replacement' correctly. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as the use of 'Unlikely' at the beginning of a sentence, which is a misuse of the word (it should be 'Unfortunately'). Additionally, 'sold out' is used correctly in context, but the overall range is somewhat limited. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise collocations or less common vocabulary related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'unsatisfactory', or 'rectify the situation'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your meaning is consistently clear. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'as if nothing happened' (should be 'as if nothing had happened') and the aforementioned misuse of 'Unlikely'. While there are occasional errors, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on ensuring consistent verb tense usage, particularly when describing past events, and try to incorporate more varied complex sentence structures to demonstrate greater grammatical control.

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

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