Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-02

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 Sir,

My name is Jaskaran Singh. I am writing this letter to complain you about the damage of the jacket which I purchased from your store.

I bought this jacket from your store three days ago. After reached at home I examined it carefully and find out one tear on its sleeves. Moreover, it's zip is not working properly which make it unusable. I was so surprise since I did not have any idea about that while I purchasing it.

I went to the store in following day with the jacket and my reciept , asked them for refund and replacement but I was so disappointed when sale's assistant told me about their no refund and return policy. I felt very sad because I did not even wore the jacket one time. I think customer should get a good quality of product.

So, I would therefore appreciate you if you will give me refund of my purchase or the replacement. I hope you will look at my problem as soon as possible and give me prompt response.

Yours Sincerely,

Jaskanar Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: the damage is described, the interaction with the store staff is explained, and a clear request for a refund or replacement is made. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The ideas are relevant and developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the reader is left in no doubt about the situation or the desired outcome. All parts of the task are addressed well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the purchase to the discovery of the fault, the failed return attempt, and finally the requested action. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'So', and 'therefore' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the letter maintains a consistent focus throughout. The overall structure is coherent and supports the reader's understanding of the narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'complain you about' (should be 'complain to you about') and 'did not even wore' (should be 'did not even wear'). While the range is sufficient to communicate the situation, it lacks the sophistication or precision that would characterize a higher band. Spelling errors like 'reciept' and 'Jaskanar' (in the sign-off) are present, but these do not impede the overall clarity of the message.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'After reached at home' (should be 'After reaching home' or 'After I reached home'), 'find out one tear' (should be 'found a tear'), and 'it's zip' (should be 'its zip'). Additionally, 'I would therefore appreciate you if you will give me' contains an error in conditional structure. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the writer's intent. A wider range of error-free complex sentences would be needed to reach a higher band.

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

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