Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-04

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 express my issue which I faced when jacket was purchased from your store.

I got lather jacket from your store which is located near Bramlea and Dixie intersection in Brampton. After reaching home, my girlfriend checked that item and she found few holes on it.

Thereafter, I went back to the store to return it with reciept. One of store workers said that it can not be refunded. I was told to get new jacket in same stuff. But I need my money back.

I would like to request you to pay attention on this issue. Refunded should be processed within given timeline. Because it is clearly mentioned on store's website that your payment will be trasferred back to your account if you return damged item within 14 days.

I will be looking forward to get your reponse.

Best regards,

Abhishek

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers all requirements of the prompt by describing the damaged leather jacket, explaining the refusal of the store worker to offer a refund, and stating the desired outcome. The tone is appropriately formal and communicative. However, it falls slightly short of the minimum length requirement of 150 words, standing at 149 words, which slightly limits the full development of some ideas. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the three bullet points are all addressed, though the explanation of the store visit and the desired remedy could be extended further to achieve a higher level of development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear sequence of events, moving logically from the purchase to discovering the damage, the return attempt, and finally the requested action. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, body points, and conclusion. While basic cohesive devices and referencing are employed ('After reaching home', 'Thereafter'), some transitions feel a bit mechanical or abrupt. The progression from the problem to the solution is generally easy to follow, meeting the expectations for this band level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, though it remains somewhat limited and repetitive. There are several spelling and word choice errors, such as 'lather' instead of 'leather', 'reciept' instead of 'receipt', 'damged' instead of 'damaged', and 'trasferred' instead of 'transferred'. The writer attempts some less common terms like 'intersection' and 'timeline', but the recurring spelling inaccuracies and basic word choices restrict the lexical score to this level, as they occasionally draw attention away from the message.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the conditional-like structure citing the store website. There are some noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('when jacket was purchased', 'get new jacket'), prepositions ('pay attention on this issue'), and passive voice formation ('Refunded should be processed' instead of 'A refund should be processed'). However, these errors rarely impede overall communication, and the basic sentence structures are generally controlled well enough to reflect this band.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.