Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-22

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/Madam,

I am writing this letter to bring your attention about recent issue I have faced in your store. I bought black coloured jacket sized M yesterday.

After I reached home I found a big hole inside the jacket which was overwhelming for me.

However, I approached the store same day. I explained whole situation to one of your employee. He refused to take jacket back, informed me that the marchandise cannot be returned which made be pretty furious.I checked your website which has policy about return stating, the product can be returnable with in 28 days of last purcahsed. I have got printable reciept with me.

I would like you to investigate whole situation and put appropriate action plan against your employee. Also If you could help me to either exchange my jacket or refund my whole money.

It would be appriciated if you could resolve the issue

Thank you

Sonia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: the jacket has “a big hole inside,” the employee refused to accept it and cited the no-returns rule, and you ask for an exchange or refund. The reference to the website’s 28-day policy and your receipt also supports your request and makes your position clear. The main opportunity is to develop the problem and desired resolution more precisely: explain whether the hole was in the lining or another part of the jacket, and state clearly whether you prefer an exchange or a refund. The request to take “appropriate action” against the employee is less central than resolving your complaint, so prioritise the remedy you want.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear sequence: you explain the purchase and damage, describe the return attempt, then make a request. This logical progression makes the situation easy to understand, and phrases such as “However” and “Also” help connect the points. To make the organisation more polished, separate the account of the return attempt from your requested action with clearer paragraphing. Some links are abrupt, particularly the move from the employee’s refusal to the website policy, and the final request and closing are crowded together. Use a few precise transitions and ensure each paragraph has one clear purpose; this would make the progression feel more controlled rather than simply listing events.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary communicates the main issue, using relevant terms such as “jacket,” “hole,” “return,” “exchange,” and “refund.” You also attempt more formal language with “investigate” and “appropriate action plan.” However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision and make the letter less natural, including “marchandise,” “purcahsed,” “reciept,” and “appriciated.” Some phrases are also awkward: “bring your attention about” and “whole money” do not express the intended meaning idiomatically. Choose standard complaint-letter collocations, such as “bring this issue to your attention” and “a full refund,” and proofread spelling carefully. This would give you a more accurate and suitably formal range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, for example, “I explained whole situation to one of your employee. He refused to take jacket back,” and the sentence explaining the website policy. The meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in articles, verb forms, and sentence construction occur across the letter. Examples include “I bought black coloured jacket sized M,” “one of your employee,” and “the product can be returnable.” The sentence beginning “I would like you to investigate” also combines several requests without clear punctuation, while “which made be pretty furious” contains a faulty verb phrase. Practise accurate article use and complete verb patterns, and divide long requests into shorter sentences. More consistent control would make your message easier to read.

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

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