Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-12

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,

I am writing this letter regarding my recent in-store purchse of jacket. Somehow, I could not return it due to policy in your store.

When I got home after buying a jacket, I found out that the sleeve has ripped-off. Apart from that, one pocket has a chain to open and close, it is broken into two pieces. I tried to fix it by myself, but I could not be able to do that.

So, I have decided to return the jacket after an hour being at home. I had been to the store and the reception lady gave me a paper of the store's policy,which states that 'No return policy in any of the cases'.She also told me that I have seen many people like you in my daily life.

I found her response very rude and I need some assistance from you regarding this jacket. If possible, can you replace the jacket, If not, would you be able to refund money. Besides this, I want you to change the staff's behaviour policy.

Thank you for understanding.

Best Regards,

Meet Shah

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

Your letter covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions well. You successfully described the problems with the jacket, mentioning both the ripped sleeve and the broken zipper on the pocket. You also explained what happened when you tried to return it to the store, detailing the staff's refusal based on store policy and their rude behaviour. Finally, you clearly stated what you would like the manager to do, asking for either a replacement or a refund, as well as a review of staff behaviour policies. The tone is appropriately formal and direct for a complaint letter. Although there are minor grammatical slips, all parts of the task are fully addressed and supported with clear ideas, making this a solid performance for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter maintains a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You have used appropriate paragraphing to separate different parts of your message, moving logically from the initial purchase and the defects to the return attempt and finally your demands. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Apart from that', 'So', and 'Besides this', although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, and the overall arrangement allows the reader to follow the narrative of the complaint without difficulty. To reach a higher band, the transitions could be integrated more smoothly and naturally into the sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'merchandise', 'assistance', and 'policy'. However, there are some spelling errors, such as 'purchse' instead of 'purchase', and minor lexical inaccuracies, such as using 'chain' instead of 'zipper' or 'zip'. There are also phrasing issues like 'after an hour being at home'. While you attempt some less common vocabulary, the occasional errors and awkward collocations place your performance firmly in the Band 6 range. Improving precision in everyday descriptive words will help elevate your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You have attempted a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional structures ('If possible, can you replace the jacket, If not, would you be able to refund money'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including 'the sleeve has ripped-off', 'I could not be able to do that', and 'I had been to the store'. Punctuation errors also occur, such as comma splices ('...policy,which states...'). These errors do not impede communication, as your meaning remains clear, but their frequency prevents a higher score. Focusing on accurate verb form combinations and punctuation will improve your control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.