Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

Hope you are doing great. I am one of your customer who just recently bought 1 XL Mens leather jacket from your Yorkville Location. The jacket i bought from your store is very good in quality and fabric is really great but unfortunately, i find out from lower right side there is a hole on the jacket all the way to inside. Once i found the problem with jacket i went to the store to return my jacket, i met the manager over there and i explained him every thing to him what is the problem with my jacket and he told me that they can not give me return.

Moreover, i have a receipt of the jacket which i bought it and i showed to him that

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the defect, explaining the store's refusal, and stating the desired outcome. However, the response is incomplete as it ends abruptly mid-sentence, failing to finish the final requirement of stating what you would like the manager to do. Furthermore, the response is 20 words under the 150-word minimum requirement. This significantly impacts the development of the ideas and the overall task completion. To improve, ensure you fully develop each point and meet the minimum word count to allow for a complete, professional conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter lacks a clear structure due to the abrupt ending. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'unfortunately', the flow is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is not effectively utilized, as the letter is essentially one long block of text. To improve, ensure you use clear paragraph breaks for each section of the letter (introduction, body paragraphs for each bullet point, and a closing). Using a wider range of linking words would also help the ideas progress more logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'very good in quality' and 'every thing' are repetitive and lack the precision expected in a formal complaint letter. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'give me return' instead of 'offer a refund' or 'process a return'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more specific, formal collocations related to retail and customer service, and ensure you use accurate terminology for the situation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The grammar contains several recurring errors. There are issues with article usage ('1 XL Mens leather jacket'), subject-verb agreement ('I am one of your customer'), and punctuation (missing commas and run-on sentences). The sentence structures are mostly simple or compound, with limited attempts at complex structures. The incomplete sentence at the end also detracts from the grammatical accuracy. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic errors like pluralization and articles, and try to incorporate a variety of complex sentence structures to demonstrate better control.

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

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