Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-26

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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter to express distress which I experienced from shopping at your store.

I purchased a leather jacket from you store on Wednesday, the store was fully packed that day and I did not got a chance to try it out properly before buying. Therefore ,after getting home i was excited try the apparel but while wearing it i find out the pockets in the jacket have holes and the zipper on the jacket is not functioning.

Next day , I went back to the store in order to return the jacket and asked employee at cash counter named Zack that i want to return the item explaining the reason of return but he still denied saying that the item was on final sale and is non returnable or refundable.

I understand the fact that it was not on final sale but that does not mean that the customer is forced to keep a damaged item when paying the full amount. I would like to request you to either provide me another pair of the same jacket or compensate with store credits. I hope you will look into this matter and will come out a conclusion.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Looking forward to your response.

Sincerely

Khushboo

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the task prompt. First, she describes the problems with the jacket clearly, noting that 'the pockets in the jacket have holes and the zipper on the jacket is not functioning.' Second, she explains what happened when she tried to return it, mentioning the employee named Zack and the refusal based on a final sale policy. Third, she outlines what she would like the manager to do, requesting either another jacket or store credit. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and the purpose is clear throughout. Although there are some minor mechanical and grammatical slips, all content requirements are fully met, earning a solid Band 7.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression from the statement of purpose to the description of the problem, the store encounter, and finally the requested resolution. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the narrative and the demand. Cohesive devices are used adequately with phrases like 'Therefore', 'Next day', and 'I understand the fact that'. However, referencing and transitions occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and there are some punctuation errors surrounding these cohesive markers (e.g., 'Therefore ,after'). Overall, the cohesion supports the flow of information well, aligning closely with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors. A score of 6.5 is appropriate due to minor mechanical clumsiness in transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'express distress', 'fully packed', 'apparel', and 'compensate with store credits'. While these attempts show a willingness to use varied language, there are several word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'did not got a chance' (instead of 'did not get'), 'another pair of the same jacket' (when referring to a single jacket), and 'come out a conclusion' (instead of 'come to a conclusion'). These errors do not impede communication, as the meaning remains clear throughout, but they prevent the score from reaching a higher band. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is well-justified for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative and subordinate clauses ('when you got home, you discovered...', 'I understand the fact that...'). There are, however, several recurring grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text. Examples include tense inconsistencies and verb form errors like 'did not got a chance', 'i was excited try' (missing 'to'), 'while wearing it i find out' (past tense needed), and missing capitalization for the pronoun 'I'. Despite these frequent errors, meaning is rarely impeded, and the reader can easily follow the narrative. This performance fits comfortably within the Band 6.0 descriptors for grammatical range and accuracy.

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

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