Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing a letter to express my dissatisfaction, regarding my recent purchased from your store.

Last month I bought a black leather jacket, but when I cane home and properly checked the jacket I discovered that left calf of the jacket was taurn. I was extremely sad by seen this.

Next day when I visited the store, and asked one of the sales associate that I want to return this jacket. Sales person refused to do, even I told all the things that the jacket was torned already before my purchase. But he said it is against company policies to made any refund.

I request to you please do a needfull solution. Either, provide me the new jacket in appropriate condition or give me refund.

Looking forward for your response,

Kind regards,

Kajal Kumari

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three required points: you identify the jacket as a black leather one with a tear, explain that a sales associate refused the return because of company policy, and request either a replacement or a refund. The purpose is clear and the tone is generally appropriate for a complaint letter. However, the request for a “needfull solution” is vague, and the problem could be described more precisely—for example, where the tear is and whether you noticed it immediately after arriving home. The response is 139 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum. Add a little relevant detail about the purchase and the conversation, and state a clear timeframe or preferred remedy to develop the letter more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible sequence: you introduce your complaint, describe the damage, recount the attempted return, and finish with your requested outcome. Paragraphing helps distinguish the main stages, and phrases such as “Next day” and “Looking forward for your response” signal progression and closure. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. The opening sentence is awkwardly punctuated, and “Next day when I visited the store, and asked…” joins the time reference and action ineffectively. The final request would also benefit from a clearer transition from the refusal to the remedy you expect. Use straightforward linking phrases and ensure each paragraph develops one stage of the complaint.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the main issue, including “black leather jacket,” “sales associate,” “return,” “refund,” and “company policies.” These choices make the situation understandable, but the range is limited and several noticeable word-choice, spelling, or word-form errors reduce precision: “recent purchased,” “cane,” “taurn,” “torned,” and “needfull.” Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “I was extremely sad by seen this” and “do a needfull solution.” Aim for accurate, conventional complaint-letter language and check spelling and word forms carefully. For example, “I was disappointed to discover the damage” is clearer and more appropriate than the current phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes simple statements and some attempts to combine ideas, such as explaining that you reported the damage before the associate refused the return. The overall meaning remains understandable, but the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur in several sentence patterns. For instance, “I am writing a letter to express my dissatisfaction, regarding…” has an unnecessary comma, while “I request to you please do…” uses an incorrect request structure. In “Next day when I visited the store, and asked…,” the clause is not formed correctly, and “the left calf of the jacket” lacks a clear grammatical construction. Practise accurate past-tense clauses and polite request forms, such as “I would be grateful if you could…”

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

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