Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

Purpose- Return damage jacket back to the store.

I hope you are doing well. I usually like buying clothes from yours store as you offers most of the brands at one location. I recently bought a black color branded jacket from you store which costs me $250 including tax.

But when I get home, I determined that it was totally damaged and seems torn from inside. I did not notice that the jacket has zips and those were stuck and badly broken. I was really disappointed as this was my first bad experience.

I thought to return the jacket. I tried to return that immediately but the employee at the customer service desk refused to return or exchange. the employee told me that they have no return or exchange policy.

After that I decided to talk with the manager as I told him that its all about your customer service. I want the manger to provide a satisfied solution which should be a return, exchange or offer a gift card.

I hope to hear from u

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the problem is described, the failed return attempt is explained, and a resolution is requested. However, the tone is inconsistent for a formal letter. The inclusion of a 'Purpose' heading is unnecessary and not standard for a formal letter. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat basic. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure the tone remains consistently formal throughout and avoid informal abbreviations like 'u' at the end of the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'I tried to...', 'After that I...'). The transition between the description of the jacket and the return attempt is abrupt. The letter would benefit from a wider range of linking words and better paragraph structure to ensure a smoother flow of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'determined that it was totally damaged' (should be 'discovered') and 'provide a satisfied solution' (should be 'satisfactory'). The range is limited, and the student relies on basic descriptors. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations and avoid informal language like 'u' in a formal context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'you offers' (subject-verb agreement), 'from yours store' (incorrect pronoun), and 'its all about' (missing apostrophe). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences lacking proper structure. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. More attention to verb tenses and basic sentence construction is needed.

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

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