Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Jasnpreet Kaur, and I am a regular visitor of this store. I am writing this letter to express my displeasure with the customer service at your store.

I recently purchased a jacket from your store, but after reached home I found that it was tattered. I immediately go back to store and explain the whole situation, but the staff who was consulting with me told that I cannot returned the stuff after being purchased.

However, I tried to being polite and let them understand that it was not my fault and I cannot take the jacket in any condition, as its totally seen as the wastage of money.

Moreover, I kindly request you to put some efforts to solve my problem as soon as possible. As I already mentioned that I am your regular customer, so it will definitely affect our relation in future.

I hope you will understand and do the needful.

Kind regards,

Jasnpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the damaged jacket, explaining the failed return attempt, and stating your desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, you mention the jacket was 'tattered' but do not specify the nature of the damage (e.g., a broken zipper or a tear). Providing more specific details would have made the letter more persuasive and better developed. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader understands exactly what you are requesting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure, moving from the introduction to the problem, the store's response, and finally your request. Paragraphing is used, though the paragraphs are quite short. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'However', but the flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by grammatical errors. For instance, the transition in the second paragraph feels a bit abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words or phrases to connect your ideas more smoothly would improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for this task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms such as 'customer service', 'purchased', and 'merchandise'. However, there are some awkward word choices, such as 'tattered' (which usually refers to old, worn-out clothing rather than a new item with a defect) and 'do the needful' (which is a common Indian English idiom but less standard in international formal English). Expanding your range to include more precise vocabulary for describing defects or business interactions would help you achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses and sentence structure. For example, you wrote 'after reached home' instead of 'after reaching home' or 'after I reached home'. Additionally, 'I cannot returned' should be 'I cannot return'. You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and some of your attempts at complex sentences contain errors, such as 'the staff who was consulting with me told that I cannot returned'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency of the letter.

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.