Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-18

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 inform you that I am currently bought a Black coloured denim Jacket from your shop " Dashing Style" on last sunday. At first I find that jacket in a very good condition and stylish, thats why I decided to bought that one. My order number is AG135. But the thing is when I reach my home I found that the jacket was tared from the inside which I didn't noticed at the store.

After that incident I visit your store again with my complain. But the staff over that told me that it cannot be returned. So, I decided to write a letter to you and want to request you that I do not want refund. I am your loyal customer and really admired your collection. So I want a favour from your side that could you please be able to change this jacket to another same denim jacket. It would be really helpful for me as I value money.

I am looking forward to hearing something nice from your side. Thank you so much for time.

Sincerely,

Riya Avatar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions well. You successfully describe the problem by mentioning that the jacket was torn from the inside. You then explain what happened when you tried to return it, noting that the store staff refused the return. Finally, you state what you would like the manager to do by requesting an exchange for the same denim jacket instead of a refund. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. The ideas are clearly relevant and well-developed, showing a good understanding of the task requirements and purpose. Although there are some minor grammatical slips, all parts of the prompt are addressed satisfactorily, placing this response comfortably in Band 6.5 to 7.0 range for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from describing the purchase and problem, to explaining the return refusal, and finally making a request to the manager. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body narrative, request, and sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'At first', 'After that incident', and 'So' are utilised to connect ideas, though some transitional phrasing feels a bit repetitive or mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, despite occasional minor awkwardness in sentence linking. Overall, the structural flow is sufficiently organized to meet the Band 6.0 criteria effectively, allowing the reader to follow the narrative without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'merchandise', 'loyal customer', and 'collection'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'currently bought' instead of 'recently bought', and spelling errors like 'tared' instead of 'torn' and 'complain' instead of 'complaint'. You also repeatedly use basic verbs and adjectives like 'find' instead of 'found' and 'good condition'. While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the lexical score. To achieve a higher band, focus on accurate verb forms and expanding your repertoire of precise adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The thing is when I reach my home I found that the jacket was tared from the inside...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in tense consistency and verb forms, including 'I am currently bought', 'I find that jacket', 'decided to bought', 'did not noticed', and 'could you please be able to change'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but sentence structures often contain basic errors that recur throughout the text. While communication is not impeded, the high frequency of grammatical inaccuracies prevents the score from reaching Band 6.0.

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

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