Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-10

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 this letter to express my experience about my jacket purchased from your store recently. However, when I reached home, I noticed it was torn out from left lower side as well as pen marks on right shoulder which were visibly noticeable. Furthermore, I went back to the store; same day to return this jacket, the lady on help desk informed us that once you purchase any clothing it cannot be returnable. I constantly tried to request the her to exchange or provide store credits, instead. Although, she might be stick to her work culture and ethics, she managed to suggest us to request the store manager. Therefore, I hereby urge you to look into my request of either exchanging my jacket or get me store credits. I would appreciate your help and support in this matter.

Yours sincerely

Aradhna

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the damage, explaining the store's refusal, and stating the desired outcome. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task achievement score. While the ideas are relevant and the tone is appropriate for a formal complaint, the development is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the details of the purchase or the impact of the damage to ensure the response comfortably exceeds the word count requirement and provides a more comprehensive account of the situation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, moving from the purchase to the problem, the interaction with staff, and finally the requested action. Paragraphing is present, though the letter is quite short, making the structure feel a bit compressed. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'Therefore', which help the flow. However, the transition between sentences could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'same day to return this jacket' is slightly awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus will help improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'merchandise', 'visibly noticeable', and 'work culture'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'torn out from left lower side' is unnatural; 'torn on the lower left side' would be more precise. Additionally, 'cannot be returnable' is redundant; 'non-returnable' or 'cannot be returned' is better. To improve, focus on learning common collocations related to retail and customer service to sound more natural and precise in your formal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'express my experience about' (should be 'express my dissatisfaction with'), 'torn out from left lower side' (missing articles), and 'request the her'. The use of 'Although' at the start of a sentence followed by 'she managed to' is grammatically incorrect in this context. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the clarity of your writing. Focusing on article usage and correct prepositional phrases will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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