Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Hlo,sir

Actually,I purchased a denim jacket from your store because i like that and i was a expensive . But, what is the thing is , i was in hurry at that time therefore i did not check properly . I just saw my size and bought that but when i came to home and what I saw it was damaged from the lower back.

Moreover, i went to your store at next day, i showed to store supervisior and he said to me purchased item do not return or refunded as well as i gave him i receipt but he did not do anything.

Therefore, i am writing a letter to you in order to get a solution of this matter because it is a expensive jacket i paid a lot of money on that. Kindly, understand my sitaution and give one option to me either change or refunded it. I hope you understand my situation.

Thanks

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly described the problem by stating that the denim jacket was 'damaged from the lower back.' You also explained what happened when you tried to return it, mentioning that you went to the store the next day, showed the supervisor, and were told that merchandise cannot be returned or refunded despite showing your receipt. Furthermore, you clearly stated what you would like the manager to do, asking for either a replacement or a refund. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, although some parts are slightly conversational. Overall, all parts of the task are adequately addressed, earning a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter has a basic logical progression from describing the purchase and the damage, to explaining the return attempt, and finally stating the desired outcome. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, with large blocks of text and improper spacing. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often basic or awkwardly placed, such as starting sentences with 'Actually,' or 'Moreover, i went to your store at next day'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the letter lacks smooth transitions between ideas, placing it firmly in the mid-bands for cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate to convey the message, but it is rather limited and basic. You use phrases like 'expensive jacket' and 'paid a lot of money,' which communicate the point effectively. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, such as 'i was a expensive' instead of 'it was expensive' and spelling errors like 'sitaution'. There is very little attempt at less common vocabulary, and precision is lacking in places, which restricts the lexical score to a 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent punctuation and capitalization errors, such as missing spaces after commas ('Actually,I', 'Moreover, i', 'Kindly, understand') and lowercase 'i' used for the pronoun 'I'. Sentence structures are often run-on or awkwardly joined, for example, 'purchased item do not return or refunded as well as i gave him i receipt'. While communication is not totally impeded, the frequency of basic grammatical and mechanical errors keeps this criterion at a band 5.0.

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

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