Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-06

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 or Madam,

I am writing to apprise you of my recent purchase at your store that i got on Monday, 1 august at 2:30 pm. I bought this Jacket in White color and was of luxury quality. Additionally, when i reached home and try it on, i discovered it was ruined. There was a large hole inside of the jacket's pocket.

To make a return of this purchase, i confronted the customer service at the store in person and online too. Moreover, they responded that all merchandises sold cannot be returned. To provide more context, This was an expensive purchase for me.

To tackle this situation, I would appreciate if you can make a return of this merchandise item either an exchange or refund will be highly appreciated. I am confident that addressing these issues promptly will make my complete my purchase without any obstacles.

Thankyou for your attention to this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Sukhdeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: describing the jacket's defect, explaining the store's refusal to provide a refund, and stating your desired outcome. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the hole in the pocket, providing more detail about the purchase context or the specific interaction with the staff would have strengthened the response. The purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the reader understands exactly what you are requesting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening, body, and closing. Paragraphing is used to separate the different points of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'To tackle this situation' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The flow between sentences is generally smooth, but there is room for more sophisticated linking to improve the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'merchandise', 'purchase', and 'exchange'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'apprise you of my recent purchase' (which is slightly formal but acceptable) and 'make a return of this purchase' (which is less natural than 'request a return'). The range is sufficient for the task, but using more precise collocations would elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly regarding capitalization (e.g., 'i', 'Jacket', 'White') and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'all merchandises sold cannot be returned' should be 'all merchandise cannot be returned'). Additionally, the phrase 'make my complete my purchase' is syntactically confusing. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of your writing.

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

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