Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-24

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 am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction about a jacket that i recently purchased from your store.

I got a Calvin Klein jacket few days back. When i tried that jacket at home, I discovered it is in wear and tear condition from inside. It has some hanging threads and a little bit off color on its collars.

I visited back store the other day in order to return and purchase something else but the store associate denied my request of returning. I explained her whole situation that it was purchased yesterday but refused to listen and walked away in anger.

It would be very great if you could look into my case personally, you can check my purchase and return history in system or in cameras if associate believes that item has been with me for long time. I Just want you to return it to supplier and refund my amount or can give me store credit in exchange for this particular item.

Thankyou in advance for considering my request.

Yours truly,

Deepika.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: you describe the jacket’s interior wear, loose threads and discoloured collar; explain that the associate refused the return; and request a refund or store credit. Your purpose and dissatisfaction are clear throughout, and the suggestion that the manager check the purchase and return records adds relevant support. To make the response more fully developed, clarify the damage and the outcome you prefer—for example, state whether you would accept store credit only if a refund is not possible. A more formal opening such as “Dear Store Manager” would also suit the situation better than “Dear Sir,” while retaining the required letter format.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear progression: purpose, description of the jacket, account of the attempted return, and requested resolution. Separate paragraphs help the reader follow these stages, and phrases such as “When I tried” and “the other day” establish the sequence of events. The final request is understandable, although the long sentence beginning “It would be very great” combines several ideas—checking records, the associate’s belief, a refund and store credit—so the relationships between them are not always easy to follow. Divide this into shorter sentences and use a clear transition to distinguish your preferred remedy from your alternative. This would make the organisation more controlled while preserving the logical structure already present.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the complaint, including “dissatisfaction,” “wear and tear,” “store associate,” “refund” and “store credit.” These choices communicate the situation and requested remedy, and the product details make the complaint specific. Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, however: “purchased from your store” is more suitable than “got … back,” and “off color on its collars” does not clearly describe the damage. “It would be very great” is also an awkward way to make a polite request. Aim for more natural complaint-letter collocations and precise descriptions, such as “discoloured collar” and “I would appreciate it if you could investigate.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the time clause “When I tried that jacket at home” and the conditional request “if you could look into my case.” The main events remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “I discovered it is” should use past tense (“it was”), and “I explained her whole situation” needs a different construction (“I explained the situation to her”). The sentence beginning “I Just want you” also joins alternatives without a clear grammatical structure; separate the refund request from the store-credit option. Check articles and sentence boundaries as well, as in “a Calvin Klein jacket” and the comma splice between “personally” and “you can check.”

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.