Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-22

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 inform you that I discovered that the jacket I bought at your store recently had some damaged in it.

I bought a black leather jacket at your store last September 5. At first the jacket was so neat and very good in condition. Upon arriving at my house, I noticed that the jacket had some hole in the back and the pocket on the side was stitchless. I returned to your store as quickly as possible upon noticing the damaged on the jacket. I came to one of your staff namely Jane and told me that the merchandised can not be return anymore.

I have the receipt on which states at the back that I can get a full refund on the price of what I pay or replacement of new one if ever I proved that the item that I purchased had damaged on it

I would appreciate it if you consider this matter as soon as possible. If you have any further question you contact me in this number [redacted phone].I attached the photovopy of receipt at the back of the letter.

Yours truly,

Vergel Lozano

Costumer

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly describe the damage (hole in the back, unstitched pocket), explain the interaction with the staff member, and state your desired outcome (refund or replacement). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is slightly hindered by grammatical inaccuracies that occasionally make the narrative flow feel a bit disjointed. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation of the store policy is linked more smoothly to your request for action. Overall, you have successfully addressed the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'At first', 'Upon arriving', and 'I would appreciate it if'. While the paragraphing is functional, the transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. For instance, the jump from describing the staff interaction to citing the receipt policy is a bit abrupt. Using more varied linking words or phrases would help create a more professional and cohesive structure. The referencing is generally clear, and the letter follows a standard formal letter format.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'merchandise', 'refund', and 'purchased'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'had some damaged in it' (should be 'damage'), 'stitchless' (a non-standard term), and 'photovopy' (spelling error). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on using more natural collocations and ensuring that nouns and adjectives are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and word forms, such as 'merchandised can not be return' (should be 'merchandise cannot be returned') and 'if ever I proved' (should be 'if I can prove'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues, such as missing spaces after periods. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. Increasing your control over basic grammatical structures will significantly improve your score.

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

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