Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-03

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 7.0)

Dear Store Manager,

I am writing this letter to complaint about the diificult situation I am experiencing while trying to exchange the item that I recently made at your store. My name is Navdeep and I recently purchased a jacket from your store. Upon returning home I agained tried the jacket by wearing it and after a detailed check I noticed that, the jacket was torn from the inside which is hardly visible.

Next day I went back to the store with proof of the purchase, tag and jacket and then I explained everything to one of the customer service representative.

Nevertheless, they refused to exchange the item. They mentioned that the concerned item was on final sale and cannot be returned nor exchanged under any curcumstances.

I know it was my oversight, I should have checked the item properly before making the purchase but the damaged part was hardly visible in the store because of bright lights.

I kindly request you to look into this matter. I am not asking you to return and refund the item, instead I am requesting you to exchange the item with another piece. Moreover, I am also open to other options for instance gift card for future purchase, incase this was the only piece left in the stock.

I really appreciate your understanding on this matter. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Navdeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You successfully cover all three bullet points required by the task instructions. You describe the problem with the jacket being torn from the inside, explain what happened when you tried to return it to the customer service representative, and state what you would like the manager to do by asking for an exchange or a gift card. Your purpose is clearly stated throughout the letter. The ideas are well extended and supported, such as explaining why the damage was not initially noticed due to bright lights in the store. To reach the highest bands, you could ensure that every detail is even more thoroughly explored, although your current coverage fully satisfies all the requirements of this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

Your letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You make effective use of paragraphing to separate different parts of your message, such as introducing the problem, describing the store visit, acknowledging your own oversight, and stating your request. You use cohesive devices adequately to guide the reader, employing transition phrases like 'Nevertheless' and 'Moreover'. While the cohesion is generally clear and appropriate, slightly more varied linking words would help lift the flow to an even higher standard. Overall, the arrangement of your ideas is coherent and easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating your message with some less common items like 'oversight', 'merchandise', and 'circumstances'. However, there are several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that prevent a higher score, such as 'complaint' instead of 'complain', 'diificult', 'agained', 'curcumstances', and 'incase'. Furthermore, phrasing like 'item that I recently made at your store' is unnatural in this context. While these vocabulary and spelling errors do not impede communication, you need greater precision and fewer mechanical errors in word forms to achieve a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You display a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over your sentence structures with good punctuation overall. You successfully use subordinate clauses and conditional structures, such as in your sentence explaining what you would like the manager to do. There are some grammatical errors present, such as unnecessary commas ('noticed that, the jacket was torn'), missing articles, and preposition choices in expressions like 'in the stock' instead of 'in stock'. These errors persist but rarely impede communication, and you successfully produce a significant number of error-free sentences. To reach the next level, you would need a wider variety of complex structures combined with a higher proportion of error-free sentences.

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

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