Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-01

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 4.0)

First para

I am writing to bring to your attention that

I would like to

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my concern regarding

the jacket damaged jacket which I bought

last week Saturday.

last Saturday, I bought jacket about $ 200

plus tax. I found jacket have not

Zips and the color was faded completely

when I saw it was competely perfect.

Unfortunately, I was not able to return the

jacket to the shop because I lost

the receipt of the jacket. Furthermore,shopper

was not able to return back. If you

could help me that makes me more stressful

even not refundable Refundable is accepted.

I would be grateful if you could resolve my

issue. I am looking to hear from forward

about from you.

Yours Sincerely

Nobel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

Your response sits at the minimum level because it addresses the task only minimally. While you attempted to describe the problem with the jacket by mentioning that it had no zips and a faded color, and you briefly touched upon the return issue, the ideas remain very limited and under-developed. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as your response contains only 130 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. To achieve a higher band, you need to extend your ideas fully, provide clearer context about the shopping experience, and ensure you meet the minimum word count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The information and ideas are not arranged coherently, which places your response at a lower band. Your text lacks clear overall progression, and the paragraphing is confused, as seen in the stray introductory fragments at the beginning of your letter. Cohesive devices are either missing, inadequate, or used inappropriately, such as the confusing transitions between sentences. To improve, you should organize your letter into logical paragraphs with a clear opening and closing, and use appropriate linking words to connect your points smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your lexical resource reflects a basic and repetitive vocabulary with noticeable errors that strain the reader. While you managed to use some relevant terms like 'jacket', 'return', and 'receipt', there are frequent errors in word choice and expression, such as 'shopper was not able to return back' and 'competely perfect'. Spelling and phrasing errors occasionally impede communication. To move up to a higher band, you need to expand your range of vocabulary, use less common lexical items accurately, and pay close attention to correct word choice and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Your writing shows a very limited range of structures, with frequent errors that can distort meaning. You relied heavily on simple sentence forms, and your attempts at more complex structures resulted in noticeable errors in grammar, prepositions, and tense usage, such as in 'jacket damaged jacket which I bought last week Saturday' and 'I am looking to hear from forward about from you.' Punctuation and verb agreements also need careful attention. To improve, you should practice forming accurate simple and complex sentences, check your verb tenses carefully, and reduce basic grammatical errors.

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

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