Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-13

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 complaint about jacket that i have bought from your store last week.

When i arrived at home and tired it. I got shocked to find a large hole in the front of jacket near light side arm. i was disappointed because i wanted to wear this jacket on my friend birthday but my plan had vanished due to damaged jacket.

When i decided to reture it with proof of bill. Store staff told me we not either return or refund. This thing made my experience bad to visit your store.

I would appriciate if you replace it or give me refund. I am regular customer of your store. I have trust on your store product. This thing happened with me once in my life. Therefore, i do not want to change store for buying cloths.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

your sincerely,

Kirandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you describe the hole in the jacket, explain that staff refused a return or refund, and request either a replacement or a refund. The letter also maintains a clear, appropriate purpose, and details such as wanting to wear the jacket to a birthday help explain your disappointment. To make the response more fully developed, give a little more precise information about the purchase and the return attempt—for example, when you returned to the store and what proof of purchase you showed. The request is clear, but you could strengthen it by stating which remedy you prefer or asking the manager to review the staff’s decision. Overall, the task is addressed with relevant supporting details, though some points remain general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall sequence: the purchase and problem are introduced first, the return attempt follows, and the requested solution appears near the end. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and the closing is appropriate. This meets the lower-band expectation of a coherent arrangement and shows some progression towards a more flexible, well-managed structure. However, links between ideas are sometimes mechanical or unclear. For instance, “This thing made my experience bad to visit your store” does not clearly connect the refusal to its effect, and “Therefore” introduces the wish to remain a customer without a fully clear logical link. Use more precise transitions and references, and ensure each paragraph develops one connected point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main issue, including “large hole,” “proof of bill,” “return or refund,” and “regular customer.” However, the range is limited, and several noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make parts less natural or briefly difficult to understand. Examples include “complaint about jacket,” “light side arm,” “my plan had vanished,” and “buying cloths.” Some expressions appear to be direct translations rather than natural phrases for a formal complaint. Build a bank of accurate retail and clothing terms, and check spelling carefully. More precise choices such as “purchase,” “receipt,” “damaged sleeve,” and “replace the item” would make the message clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates its main message, but the sentence patterns are mostly simple, and attempts at longer structures are often faulty. For example, “When i arrived at home and tired it” is an incomplete, incorrectly formed sentence, while “When i decided to reture it with proof of bill” also lacks a complete main clause. There are recurring problems with articles, capitalization, verb forms, and sentence boundaries, as in “about jacket that i have bought” and “Store staff told me we not either return or refund.” These errors sometimes make the reader work to understand the intended meaning. Practise complete clauses and accurate past-tense reporting, then proofread for sentence boundaries and basic agreement.

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

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