Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter regarding a problem related to one of your store product. I am daily customer of your store. I recently purchased a limited edition jacket from your store. I tried that in your store and really like it. Everything was fine until i reached home. When i showed that jacket to my mother see like it alot but also she found a defect in it. The stiches near the shoulder not perfect if you compare both shoulder side by side. If somebody see that thing properly can see the difference clearly. I went to the same store back to return that product but sales person who sold me refuse to return because that was on discount and that product was final sale. He mentioned that return of final sale product is against the company policy. I believe that following a policy is important but if you can give me the gift coupon towards this jacket that i can use it in future if possible for you.

I hope you will consider my request.

Ram Verma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: describing the defect, explaining the store's refusal to return the item, and proposing a solution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the defect is a bit repetitive, and the explanation of the store's policy could be more clearly articulated. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the situation is more precise and that your proposed solution is presented with greater clarity and professional phrasing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purchase to the discovery of the defect, the interaction at the store, and finally the proposed resolution. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'When', 'If', and 'However' (implied), but the flow is occasionally hindered by short, choppy sentences. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the problem description and the store's reaction could be smoother. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, which will help the reader follow your argument with less effort.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate the situation clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'limited edition', 'merchandise', and 'company policy'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'store product' instead of 'store's products' or 'daily customer' instead of 'regular customer'. Additionally, there are minor errors in word forms, such as 'stiches' (spelling) and 'see like it' (grammar/word choice). Expanding your range of vocabulary to include more precise descriptive terms would enhance your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with articles ('the shoulder', 'the difference'), subject-verb agreement ('stiches... not perfect'), and verb tense consistency ('sales person... refuse'). Some sentences are also missing necessary auxiliary verbs or pronouns, such as 'If somebody see that thing properly'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency and accuracy of your writing. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your score.

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

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