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)

Hello sir ,

I hope this letter finds you well , i am writing to complain reagarding my bad experinece on my shopping of a jacket from your store in person .

Recently I bought a brown colour fall jacket from your store . I paid $50 for that peice , it seems to be perfectly fine with no issues . Hovewer when I bought it home and tried it on , I found the zip was broken and was not working . Besides this there was a black colour stain on it near collar bone .

As it was not on final sale I decided to go back and return it , but unfornunately the associate refused to carry out the procedure of return or exchange . Despite of this she talked to me rudely with no manners at all , hence I was dissatisfied with this behaviour .

I would suggest you to look in this matter and give me a full return as now i am no longer intrested to buy anything from your store again . Plus give appropriate training to your staff regarding customer service .

I request you to give me refund as soon as possible and hope you consider my request regarding your staff behaviour .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three required points: the jacket’s broken zip and collar stain are described, the associate’s refusal and rude manner are explained, and you request a refund and staff training. Your purpose is clear throughout, and the specific details make the complaint credible. The requested action is also explicit in “I request you to give me refund.” To strengthen the response further, make the remedy more precise and develop the request slightly—for example, state whether you expect the full $50 to be refunded and how you would like the manager to respond. The opening “Hello sir” is less appropriate than the required “Dear Sir or Madam,” and a formal closing would complete the letter more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall sequence: you introduce the complaint, describe the damage, explain the attempted return, and finish with your requests. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and connectors such as “However,” “Besides this,” and “Despite of this” show an effort to link ideas. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall arrangement. However, some links are mechanical or awkward, and the final two paragraphs repeat the refund request without clearly distinguishing the main remedy from the additional request about staff conduct. Use more precise transitions and group related requests together. A conventional opening and closing would also make the letter’s structure feel more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and its details, including “broken,” “stain,” “refused,” “refund,” and “customer service.” However, the range is limited, and several spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, such as “reagarding,” “experinece,” “peice,” and “unfornunately.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise: “my shopping of a jacket,” “carry out the procedure of return,” and “give me a full return.” These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the situation, but they reduce clarity and naturalness. Aim for accurate, conventional complaint-letter expressions, such as “my recent purchase,” “process a return,” and “issue a full refund,” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “when I bought it home and tried it on” and the clause beginning “As it was not on final sale.” The main events remain understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and punctuation occur across the letter. For example, “I would suggest you to look in this matter” has an incorrect verb pattern, while “Despite of this she talked to me” uses an incorrect construction and needs punctuation after the introductory phrase. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “i am,” and several sentences contain comma spacing or run-on punctuation problems. Practise reliable patterns such as “I suggest that you look into this matter” and check sentence boundaries, capital letters, and commas.

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

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