Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 or Madam,

I am writing to raise my concern regarding damaged jacket that had purchased from your store last week.

When i bought a jacket i did not see any holl, but yesterday when i wore it. I got shocked because there was a big holl in the buttom. It was hard for me to hide. That is why, i have to wear other jacket .

When i made my mind to return it. Staffs did not agree with me. They said me now they cannot reture it and could be refund . I was down in dumps. MY experience was not fruitful at your store. I wasted my large amount on this jacket which was not useless for me.

I would be appreciated if you give me new jacket. I am regular customer of your store. Thus, please pay attention towards my concern.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

your sincerely,

Kirandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three required points: you describe a hole in the jacket, explain that staff refused the return, and request a replacement. The purpose is clear and the polite opening and closing suit a formal complaint. The account is relevant, but some details are less fully explained: for example, you do not say whether the damage was present when you bought the jacket or clarify the store’s exact reason for refusing it. Your request for “new jacket” is understandable, though specifying whether you would accept a replacement or refund would make the desired outcome more precise. The response already covers the task effectively; fuller explanation of the circumstances and a more specific remedy would strengthen it further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: the opening states its purpose, the next paragraphs describe the damage and return attempt, and the final paragraph makes a request. This paragraphing helps the reader follow the complaint, and phrases such as “That is why” and “Thus” signal connections between ideas. Some links are less natural or precise, however. “When I made my mind to return it” does not clearly express the transition, and “Thus” is a somewhat mechanical link to the request. The sequence would be smoother if you used direct transitions such as “When I returned to the store” and connected the refusal directly to the remedy you are seeking.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main complaint, including “raise my concern,” “regular customer,” and “look forward to hearing from you.” There are also attempts at more expressive language, such as “down in dumps” and “not fruitful,” but these are inaccurate or unnatural in this context and make parts of the letter harder to interpret. Several spelling and word-choice errors, including “holl,” “buttom,” and “reture,” are noticeable, while “large amount” and “not useless” do not express the intended meaning clearly. Aim for accurate, conventional complaint-letter wording and check spelling carefully; this will make your message more precise without requiring unusually advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple sentences and longer structures, and the reader can generally understand the sequence of events. However, grammatical errors occur often enough to affect clarity. For example, “damaged jacket that had purchased” is missing a subject and has an incorrect verb construction; “When i bought a jacket i did not see” needs clearer sentence punctuation and article use; and “They said me” uses an incorrect reporting pattern. There are also problems with verb forms and sentence construction in “I would be appreciated if you give me new jacket.” Practise complete sentence patterns, articles, and reported speech, then proofread capitalization and punctuation. More accurate control of these structures would make the letter easier to read.

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