Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my concern regarding the recent order and service I received at your store. I bought a brand new jacket, called Neon 54 Series A1. I spent around 500 dollars on it; however, I found it as a defective piece when I was trying to wear it for first time at my home. It has some missing buttons as well as it is not of the same size which I ordered.

Unfortunately, when I went to the store to return it, the cashier at the counter refused to return, and told me we do not serve return or any exchange policy. In spite of staff's mistake, counter-attendant did not help me with this return.

Thus, it is my humble request to you to look into this matter and please provide me best solution possible. Since there is no fault of mine, I would greatly appreciate if you may help me to get my refund or make an exchange of this damaged jacket with the new and correct-sized one.

Should you need any information or details, please feel free to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Abhishek Kumar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly describe the defects (missing buttons and incorrect size), explain the negative experience at the store, and state your desired outcome (refund or exchange). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint, and the purpose is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the purchase, such as the date or receipt number, to make the request more professional and realistic. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'however', 'unfortunately', and 'thus' to link your ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother. For example, the second paragraph feels slightly disjointed due to the repetition of 'return'. Overall, the structure is clear and effective.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'defective piece', 'merchandise', and 'humble request'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'I found it as a defective piece' (should be 'I found it to be a defective piece') and 'we do not serve return or any exchange policy' (should be 'we do not have a return or exchange policy'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from being considered 'flexible' or 'precise' at a higher level. Expanding your range of collocations would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'it is not of the same size which I ordered' (should be 'the same size as the one I ordered') and 'In spite of staff's mistake' (should be 'In spite of the staff's mistake'). Additionally, there are minor issues with articles and prepositions. While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of relative clauses.

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

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