Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-08

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,

Hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter in context of complaint about the GAP unisex medium jacket in artical number CU7787, I purchased from your richmond outlet, Canada. It was blue in colour with golden zip when I selected that. However, when I opened it at my place the colour appeared black and zip was also broken.

On the very next day I visited your store to raise a refund or exchange but the staff denied to help me out by saying merchandise cannot be returned. This is the first time I had this worst experice.

I would like to request a exchange of jacked as I have to wear the same on my birthday party coming in next 10 days. I have only few days left. If your store do not have the same article then please issue a refund.

Yours Faithfully

Akanskha Mahajan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three required points: you identify the jacket and describe the colour and broken zip, explain that staff refused a refund or exchange, and state the remedy you want. The request is clear and supported by a practical reason: your birthday party is in ten days. The conditional request for a refund if the same item is unavailable also makes your preferred outcome easy to understand. To strengthen the letter further, give a little more detail about the damage or the return visit, and make the requested action more specific—for example, ask the manager to arrange an exchange promptly and confirm how the refund would be processed. Overall, the purpose and position remain clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible sequence: purchase and discovery of the problem, the unsuccessful return attempt, and your requested solution. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “However,” “On the very next day,” and “If” make the progression clear. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. Some connections are less smooth, however: “This is the first time I had this worst experience” interrupts the account without clearly linking to the request, and the final paragraph repeats the urgency through “coming in next 10 days” and “only few days left.” A more concise transition and clearer reference to the jacket or store in the final request would make cohesion more flexible and natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and desired outcome, including “broken,” “denied,” “exchange,” and “issue a refund.” The item number and colour details also make the description specific. However, several noticeable spelling, word-form, and collocation errors reduce precision: “artical,” “experice,” and “jacked” are misspelled, while “in context of complaint” and “raise a refund” are unnatural expressions. “This worst experience” is also an awkward way to describe the incident. These choices are generally understandable, but they make the letter sound less fluent and occasionally require the reader to interpret your meaning. Focus on accurate spelling and standard complaint-letter phrases such as “make a complaint” and “request a refund.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “However” and the conditional sentence beginning “If your store…”. The main events are generally understandable, but errors in articles, agreement, and sentence construction occur across the letter. For example, “I am writing this letter in context of complaint” needs articles, and “I would like to request a exchange” has an incorrect article. In “If your store do not have,” the verb does not agree with the singular subject; “I have only few days left” also needs a determiner. The opening “Hope you are doing well” is a fragment in this formal context. Check article use and subject–verb agreement, and practise complete, accurate sentences alongside your longer structures.

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

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