Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-18

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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

i would like to express my disappointment reagrding my recent purchase of leather jacket at your Dexton store in Cambridge.The moment i opened the jacket packaging when i returned back home i saw strands of fabric coming out of the jacket also there are small stains of white paint all over the jacket.Moreover, the jacket zip is a rigid and does not operate smoothely.

I was devasted and furious after finding my jacket in such a pathetic situation.To resolve the issue, i went back to the store to explain my situation to Me.James, the Sales representative that was available there at that time.The sales representative outright refused to cater to the issue saying that item once purchased cannot be returned or refunded.I was taken aback by the sitauation as this jacket costs a whopping 500 dollars.

I would like you to please replace my Jacket with a new one in the store or refund me the entire jacket amount.I would be eagerly waiting for you response.

Your Sincerely,

Aryan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three points clearly: you describe the jacket’s defects, explain that the sales representative refused a return or refund, and request either a replacement or a full refund. The specific details—fabric strands, paint stains, a stiff zip, and the $500 price—make the complaint convincing and support your request. Your purpose and desired outcome remain clear throughout. To make the response more fully developed, explain briefly why the refusal is unreasonable, for example, that the damage was present when you opened the packaging and the jacket was unused. A more formal opening and closing would also better suit a letter to a manager, but the task itself is handled effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear sequence: you introduce the purchase and its defects, describe the attempted return, and finish with the action you want. The paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “To resolve the issue” make the relationships between ideas clear. Some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the first paragraph packs several details into one long sentence. You could improve the flow by separating the defects into shorter sentences and using a more direct transition to the return attempt. The closing request is easy to locate, though a brief final sentence indicating when you expect a response would give the letter a more complete progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a complaint, including “express my disappointment,” “outright refused,” and “taken aback.” These choices communicate your frustration and the seriousness of the problem. There are, however, several spelling errors, including “reagrding,” “smoothely,” and “sitauation,” and some word choices or collocations are awkward: “a rigid zip” and “cater to the issue” are not natural in this context. “Pathetic situation” also sounds overly emotional for a formal complaint. Aim for precise, conventional phrasing and check spelling carefully; this would make your vocabulary more accurate and appropriately formal while retaining your clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, such as the sentence beginning “The moment I opened the jacket packaging” and the explanation introduced by “saying that.” The message remains understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors reduce accuracy. For example, “a leather jacket” needs an article, “when I returned back home” is an awkward construction, and “the jacket zip is a rigid” has an incorrect structure. Capitalisation is inconsistent (“i,” “Jacket”), and several sentences run together without a space after the full stop. Use a wider range of sentence patterns while checking articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation; these corrections would improve control without changing your meaning.

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

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