Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-05

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/mam,

I am writing this letter to complain about the jacket which is defective.

A few days ago, i purchased a jacket from your store. It was of leather. But when I got my home and check my jacket, it was torn from one of its pocket and the button was also broken. It disappointed me alot.

Another day when I went to the store again to return this jacket or with a refund me, they were told me that merchandise cannot be returned. And I got surprised to hear that. They refuses me not to return the jacket.

I would therefore like to tell you that the jacket was already damaged when I bought it. I would really appreciate if you give me a new piece of jacket in exchange of this one or refund me. I shall be thankful to you .

Yours faithfully

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by describing the damaged jacket, explaining the store's refusal to provide a refund, and stating the desired outcome. However, some ideas remain limited and under-developed, such as the brief description of the damage. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as the response falls short of the minimum one hundred and fifty words required for this task. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to expand on the points with more detail and ensure the word count requirement is fully satisfied.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation in the letter, with an appropriate opening and closing, and a basic paragraph structure corresponding to different parts of the prompt. However, there is no clear overall progression due to abrupt transitions between ideas. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or repetitive, such as the awkward linking phrase 'Another day when I went to the store'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear. Improving the logical flow between paragraphs and using a wider range of accurate cohesive devices would greatly enhance the overall coherence of the writing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common items and task-specific vocabulary, such as 'merchandise', 'defective', and 'exchange', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'refund me' instead of 'give me a refund'. There are also awkward phrasings like 'a new piece of jacket'. While communication is generally maintained, these lexical inaccuracies and the informal salutation 'Dear sir/mam' prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent attempts at complex sentences that are often faulty. There are noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, such as 'i purchased' with a lowercase pronoun, 'check my jacket' instead of 'checked', 'they were told me', and 'They refuses me'. These frequent errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement can cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a need for closer control over basic grammatical patterns.

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

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