Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-27

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to complain about recent purchase from your shop.

I bought a black jacket.It was for my college trip.I liked the material of the jacket. Till that time I was satisfied with my purchase but when I reached home and tried on me it was damaged. Jacket has a small holes at the back side.

I tried to return it to the store; however your manager told me it is not returnable.

I am your regular customer and I have trust on you this is the reason I always prefer to buy my clothes from your store.Hence I am requesting you to exchange the jacket for me.

Thank you for your understanding and time.

Yours sincerely,

Sam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the damage, explaining the store's refusal to return the item, and stating the desired outcome. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the brevity prevents a more persuasive or detailed explanation of the situation. To improve, you should expand on the details, such as mentioning the date of purchase, the specific store location, or the inconvenience caused by the damaged item, to ensure the task is fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Paragraphing is used, though the paragraphs are quite short due to the limited word count. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'however' and 'hence', but the transitions between sentences feel somewhat abrupt. The overall flow is functional, but it lacks the sophisticated linking required for higher bands. To improve, try to use a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that sentences are linked more smoothly to create a more cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'I liked the material' and 'I have trust on you' are functional but lack the precision expected at higher levels. There are also minor collocation errors, such as 'I have trust on you' (should be 'I have trust in you' or 'I trust your store'). To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more specific vocabulary related to retail and customer service, such as 'defective', 'policy', or 'resolution'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'a small holes' (article/plurality mismatch) and 'tried on me' (incorrect preposition/reflexive usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods in several places. While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors indicate a lack of control over more complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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