Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-25

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)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well,

I am writing this letter regarding the recent incident happened with me. So, Last week I had visited your store for shopping and I bought a couple of cloths including Jackets, T-shirt and Pants.

Getting more clearer, I bought the jacket which was black in colour and it was the last piece in the whole store. I was very excited after seeing the deal on that jacket. Eventhough, I was in a bit hurry, So, I forgot to check the pocket. After a couplr of days I tried that, and realised there is a hole in the pocket. Afterthat I rushed to the shop. Then had a conversation the the customer service employee, He said the items on deals are non-returnable. They gave me n option for an exchange but there were none of them same left. So, kindly requesting you for a refund or step-in to this incident and find me a suitable solution.

Thank you

Rushi Patel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all the required bullet points from the prompt. The student describes the problem with the jacket ("realised there is a hole in the pocket"), explains what happened when attempting to return it ("items on deals are non-returnable"), and states what they would like the manager to do ("kindly requesting you for a refund or step-in"). The tone is generally appropriate for a formal complaint letter, although there are minor conversational slips in phrasing. Overall, all parts of the task are adequately addressed, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0 performance under this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with clear attempts at sequencing ideas chronologically, moving from the purchase to the discovery of the damage and the interaction with customer service. However, paragraphing is poorly handled; the entire body of the letter is compressed into a single, overly dense paragraph alongside introductory sentences. Cohesive devices are sometimes used awkwardly or mechanically, such as "Getting more clearer" and "Afterthat". Referencing is mostly clear, but the lack of proper paragraph breaks impacts the overall logical progression, placing it firmly at a Band 5.5 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their basic meaning and specific complaints. There are several inappropriate word choices and spelling/collocation errors, such as "cloths" instead of "clothes", "couplr" instead of "couple", and "the the customer service employee". While the student attempts some less common vocabulary items (e.g., "merchandise-related context", "refund", "exchange"), the noticeable spelling and word choice errors indicate a Band 5.0 lexical resource level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as "After a couple of days I tried that, and realised there is a hole in the pocket." However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward punctuation placements, including comma splices and run-on structures ("So, Last week I had visited", "Then had a conversation the the customer service employee, He said..."). These errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader, aligning the grammar score with Band 5.0.

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

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