Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-13

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,

I am writing this letter to express my my (jacket) disstasfication with a purchase item from your store.

I bought a jacket from your store which was Black in color and its a leather one and the brand name of the jacket is Shein; which is quite well-known brand. As, I bought that only a day ago when I checked it at my home the jacket is not the same one which I selected. Moreover, the color, size is also not same, leather was not good enough as well as having a broken zipper on the inner pocket. The jacket was completely in unwearable condition.

Due to all this issue, when I try to returned the product they say merchandise cannot be returned. I tried to explain that the item was faulty prior to purchase, but my concerns were completely dismissed.

As a regular customer, I find this treatment unacceptable. Since the item was sold with

pre-existing defects, I request that you override this policy & and arrange for a full refund or a replacement jacket in perfect condition.

I look forward to you response.

Yours faithfully,

Surjeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required by the task. The student describes the problem by mentioning that the jacket received was the wrong color, size, had poor leather quality, and featured a broken zipper on the inner pocket. The second bullet point is addressed by explaining the store's refusal to accept returns and the dismissal of concerns. Finally, the student clearly states what they want the manager to do, requesting an override of the policy, a full refund, or a replacement jacket. All parts of the prompt are addressed adequately, and the tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The ideas are relevant and clearly linked to the scenario, earning a solid band score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with logical progression from describing the fault to explaining the refusal and finally making a request. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different points, such as the description of the jacket and the store interaction. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in abrupt transitions like 'Due to all this issue, when I try to returned...' and some referencing issues. Despite these minor lapses, the structure is easy to follow and meets the requirements for a mid-level band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'pre-existing defects' and 'regular customer.' However, there are noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'disstasfication' and 'purchase item,' along with repetitive phrasing. Word choice is occasionally imprecise, like 'not the same one which I selected.' These errors do not impede overall communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I bought a jacket from your store which was Black in color...' and 'Since the item was sold with pre-existing defects, I request that you override this policy.' However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies ('when I try to returned'), agreement errors ('color, size is also not same'), and double pronouns ('express my my'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they lower the accuracy and keep the score at Band 5.5.

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

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