Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-30

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 Manager,

I am writing this to inform you of an issue about a Jacket, which I bought recently from your store and request you to take appropriate action.

I have bought this leather jacket from your city center store yesterday, and I found out that the left zip of packet is broken when I have tried it on in home.

Unfortunately, the next day when I went back to your store, one of your employees told me that this merchandise is sold out; therefore he would not be able to return it or accommodate me in any way. However, it is explicitly mentioned in your policy that a damaged item will be exchanged or refunded if returned within ten working days.

I would humbly request you to take appropriate action as I have followed your policy honestly without delay. I would appreciate it if you could exchange it or refund my purchased amount.

I am looking forward to a positive response from your side, and would appreciate a quick response from you.

Yours faithfully,

Ayaz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly described the defect (the broken zip), explained the negative interaction with the store employee, and stated your desired outcome (refund or exchange). The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the ideas are well-developed. To reach a higher band, ensure that the details provided are slightly more precise, such as including the date of purchase or a receipt number, which would enhance the realism of the task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear progression from the introduction of the problem to the requested solution. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the narrative of the event from the request for action. Cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'therefore', and 'However' are used appropriately to link ideas. The flow is smooth and easy to follow. To improve further, you could vary your sentence starters slightly more to avoid repetitive structures, but overall, the organization is clear and coherent throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'merchandise', 'explicitly mentioned', and 'accommodate'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'left zip of packet' (likely meaning 'pocket') and 'in home' (should be 'at home'). While these do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise collocation. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but incorporating more sophisticated synonyms for common words would help elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I have bought' (should be simple past 'I bought' as a specific time 'yesterday' is mentioned) and 'from your side' (which is slightly redundant). However, the majority of your sentences are clear and error-free. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the formal tone is maintained throughout. To achieve a higher band, focus on consistent tense usage and refining prepositional phrases to ensure complete grammatical accuracy.

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

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