Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-28

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,

THIS IS NIRMAL KAUR. I AM YOUR REGULAR CUTOMER AND ALWAYS BUY CLOTHES FROM YOUR STORE, BUT THIS TIME I HAD VERY BAD EXPERIENCE. ACTUALLY I BOUGHT A JACKET LAST WEEK FROM YOUR STORE AND I DID NOT CHECK IT PROPERLY AT THAT TIME BECAUSE I WAS IN RUSH DUE TO TIME SHORTAGE. WHEN I RACHED HOME AND I CHECKED THEN I REALISED THAT THERE WERE ONLY TWO BUTTONS ON IT AND TWO WERE BROKEN. I FELT VERY DISSAPOINTED ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE.

AFTERWARDS, WHEN I WENT BACK TO SHOP TO RETURN IT THEN THE SHOPKEEPER DENIED TO GET IT BACK AND HE SAID THAT WE CANNOT RETURN YOUR MONEY BECAUSE IT WAS FINAL SALE.

SO, IT IS MY HUMBLE REQUEST TO YOU THAT PLEASE ASK YOUR SHOPKEEPER EITHER TO EXCGANGE IT OR RETURN MY FULL MONEY.

HOPEFULLY YOU WOULD UNDERSTNAD MY SITUATION AND HELP ME OUT FROM IT.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO READ MY ISSUE.

YOUR SINCERELY,

NIRMAL.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: describing the damage, explaining the store's refusal to refund, and requesting a resolution. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter of complaint, although the use of all-caps makes it appear aggressive. The ideas are clearly presented, and the purpose of the letter is immediately obvious to the reader. To reach a higher band, the student should provide more specific details, such as the date of purchase or the specific model of the jacket, to make the complaint more professional and effective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative of the complaint. There is a basic use of cohesive devices such as 'Actually', 'Afterwards', and 'So', which help to connect the ideas. However, the transitions are somewhat simplistic and repetitive. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, but the overall flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to create a more sophisticated structure. The letter is easy to follow despite these minor limitations.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey the necessary information clearly. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'CUTOMER', 'RACHED', 'DISSAPOINTED', and 'EXCGANGE', which detract from the professional quality of the letter. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and relies on basic, everyday language. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise terminology related to retail and customer service, and ensure that common words are spelled correctly to avoid distracting the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I AM YOUR REGULAR CUTOMER' (missing article), 'THE SHOPKEEPER DENIED TO GET IT BACK' (incorrect verb pattern), and 'HELP ME OUT FROM IT' (unnatural phrasing). While these errors do not prevent the message from being understood, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. The student should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and avoiding the use of all-caps, which is not standard in formal written English.

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

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