Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-16

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 or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this to inform you that few days ago, I just bought a jacket from your store, when I reached home then I realised it was not in a good condition. Also, when I tried to contact with your store, they said merchandise

cannot be returned.

This piece of cloth is not in good condition as in the back of that jacket there are many holes that I did not see at the shop. It looked so ugly to see.

However, next day I went to your shop, then salesman told me that I did not returned that product, because they did not have any policy regarding reutrning items. I was very upset on that time and unsatisfied with your customer service. I wasted $ 300 on that jacket.

I hope you will take this matter very seriously and put some notices in your shop regarding the policies that you have. Additionally, teach your employees how to communicate with coustomers when thay face some peoblems at your place.

Best regards,

Snpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three required points: you describe holes in the jacket, explain that the salesperson refused the return, and ask the manager to take action. The price of $300 and your dissatisfaction add relevant context. However, the requested remedy is not fully clear: you ask for notices about the policy and staff training, but do not directly request a refund, replacement, or repair. The description of the damage is also brief, and the account of the return attempt is somewhat unclear. State precisely what outcome you want and develop the key details so the manager can respond to a specific complaint.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, separate paragraphs for the damage and return attempt, and a closing request. This makes the main points reasonably easy to locate. Some connections between events are awkward or unclear, however: the opening combines buying the jacket, arriving home, and discovering the damage in one long sentence, while “However, next day I went to your shop, then…” uses connectors mechanically. The final paragraph also shifts from asking the manager to address your complaint to broader suggestions about store policy and staff. Use clearer sequencing, such as “The following day,” and make each paragraph’s purpose more focused.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main complaint, including “holes,” “customer service,” “policies,” and “employees.” However, the range is limited and several choices or collocations sound unnatural, which makes parts of the letter less precise. For example, “This piece of cloth” is not a natural way to refer to a jacket, and “It looked so ugly to see” does not clearly describe the damage. There are also spelling errors such as “reutrning,” “coustomers,” and “peoblems.” Choose more precise complaint language and check spelling carefully; this will make the message clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand the sequence of events. Some errors in sentence structure, tense, articles, and prepositions remain. For instance, “few days ago” needs an article, and “when I reached home then I realised” combines two time markers awkwardly. In “I did not returned that product,” the verb form after “did not” should be the base form; the sentence also does not clearly express who refused the return. Break up long sentences and check verb patterns and sentence boundaries. More accurate control of these forms would make the complaint easier to follow.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.