Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-24

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 am writing this letter regarding an item which was purchased by me on 17/07/2026 from Decathlon Surat outlet.

To begin with, I have been loyal customer for the Decathlon since last 5 years and my shopping experience has been great in past. While I never had a problem with any clothing article in past, but this time when I came back home with a black jacket ( item number - 3482) I noticed it was having two problems. Firstly, when I tried it on it did not fit so I checked size and it was smaller one due to some error while dispatching. Secondly, also I noticed that zipper was not working properly. So I took it back within 3 hours to return it in store but I was told that this particular product is ineligible for return as I don’t have original packaging anymore.

I would like you to address this issue as soon as possible because it was mentioned in receipt that original packaging is not required at the time of return.

Yours Sincerely,

Deep Ukani

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: describing the jacket's defects, explaining the failed return attempt, and stating the desired resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, though the development could be slightly more sophisticated. For instance, the explanation of the return policy conflict is clear, but the request for action could be more specific regarding the desired outcome, such as a refund or an exchange. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the narrative. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'So' are used to guide the reader through the sequence of events. While some transitions are slightly mechanical, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication of the situation. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'loyal customer for the Decathlon' (should be 'of') and 'clothing article' (which sounds slightly unnatural in this context). However, the range is sufficient to convey the necessary information, and the errors do not impede understanding. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise collocations and a slightly more formal tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I have been loyal customer' (missing article 'a'), 'my shopping experience has been great in past' (missing 'the'), and 'it was having two problems' (the continuous form is less natural here than 'it had'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear, and the punctuation is generally accurate. The control of grammar is sufficient for the task, though more error-free complex sentences would improve the score.

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.