Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear sir/ mam

I want to talk about some serious discussion Recently i vist your showroom and bought a brand new jacket which i really like at the tyme of bought

but when i come back from shop i just want to try that jacket but i found that the jacket was not in good condition its a lather jacket when i sawjacket carefully i will found a small hole in the middle of jacket which is not looking good and also the jacket looked litle bit old

When i visit shop for change that piece of jacket the worker who work there, can not take my complaint seriously also they behave very bad .They refuse to change that piece of jacket they trully regret that the jacket was not belong from that shop

I really feel bad because the behaviour of worker is not acceptable who they actually taught with me and refuse to return that jacket

from you i really want you will take some serious action against that workers and also help me to chnge that piece of jacket it was great help for me i only want a jacket as exchage offer rather than return a money

thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the three requested points: you describe a hole in the jacket, explain that staff refused to accept the return, and ask for an exchange rather than a refund. The request is understandable, and the detail that the jacket is leather and the hole is in the middle makes the complaint relevant. However, some points are unclear or under-developed. For example, “they truly regret that the jacket was not belong from that shop” does not clearly explain the store’s reason for refusing it. The requested action is also mixed with a request to take action against the workers, so the manager’s main responsibility is not fully clear. State the refusal accurately and make the exchange your central, specific request.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a broadly sensible order: purchase and damage, attempted return, then the action you want. This helps the reader identify the main events. However, the ideas are often crowded into long sentences, and paragraphing does not clearly separate the stages of the complaint. Connectors such as “but,” “also,” and “and” are repeated, while references such as “that piece” and “they” can be unclear. The opening also moves straight into the complaint without a clear purpose statement. Use separate paragraphs for the purchase, the return attempt, and your requested solution, and use clearer links such as “When I returned to the store” and “Therefore, I would appreciate it if…”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the basic complaint, including “jacket,” “small hole,” “return,” and “exchange.” There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “in the middle of the jacket.” However, the range is limited and several inaccurate or misspelled expressions make the letter less clear or less appropriate for a formal complaint. Phrases such as “serious discussion,” “change that piece,” and “behave very bad” are not natural choices in this context; spelling errors such as “lather” and “exchage” also reduce precision. Build a small set of accurate complaint phrases, including “defective item,” “request an exchange,” and “staff refused to process my return,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine ideas using clauses, for example, “when I come back from shop” and “when I saw jacket carefully,” but control of these structures is inconsistent. Verb forms and tense shifts are frequent: “I vist,” “I found,” and “I will found” appear in the account of past events. Articles and sentence construction are also often inaccurate, as in “the jacket was not belong from that shop” and “from you I really want you will take.” These errors sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. Practise writing short, complete sentences in the past tense, then add subordinate clauses only when you can control them. For example: “When I got home, I noticed a small hole in the jacket.”

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

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