Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-17

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you that I recently bought a jacket from your store, which was damaged when I check at home.

Firstly, I want to clarify that when I tried on this jacket at my home, I found that one pocket of this jacket was damaged.

Secondly, when I visited the store to return it, your staff said, straightforwardly No. They explained to me that this jacket is not under the return policy.

Thirdly, I want to discuss this problem with you. Can you help me with that? Because I really love this jacket, if this is not under the return policy, could you please repair it for me? Or, if you have a second pair, can you replace this jacket with one of those? Here are my contact details: Phone Number [redacted phone]. Please contact me as soon as possible because I am going to wear this jacket to my birthday party.

Looking forward to your response.

Your Client

Hapz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task. The student describes the problem with the jacket ("one pocket of this jacket was damaged"), explains what happened when trying to return it ("your staff said, straightforwardly No... not under the return policy"), and clearly states what they would like the manager to do (either repair it or replace it). The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and all parts of the prompt are fully addressed. The ideas are clearly relevant and well-developed for a General Training Task 1 response, earning a solid band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a clear logical organization with an appropriate opening and closing. The student uses cohesive devices to structure the points, such as "Firstly", "Secondly", and "Thirdly". However, the use of "Thirdly" is slightly mechanical and repetitive in style. Paragraphing is generally handled well to separate distinct ideas, though some paragraphs are quite short. Overall, the progression of information is clear and easy to follow, satisfying the criteria for band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common phrases like "return policy" and "contact details". However, there are some lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as "when I check at home" (instead of checked) and "second pair" (when referring to a jacket rather than shoes). Spelling and word choices are generally clear enough not to impede communication, placing the response comfortably at a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional clauses ("if this is not under the return policy, could you please repair it for me?"). There are some grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense consistency ("when I check at home" instead of checked) and article usage. Despite these errors, meaning is never obscured, and the punctuation is generally acceptable. This performance aligns well with the band 6.0 descriptors.

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

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