Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-27

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 this letter to express my dissatisfaction with the product that I recently purchased from your store. I visited the store to return the jacket that I bought, however I was refused to return the item.

In the begining, I was very excited to try new jacket but after sometme It made me disappointed when I realised the underarm is torn from both sides and the pocket was also loosely stitched. It is a very bad experience for a regular customer like me.

I visited to returen the damaged item but one of the employees on the customer service counter refused to return it. I tried to make him underdtand the situation but not recieved any positive response from the employee.

I would like you to provide me a replacement or the full refund of the product at your earliest convenience. I hope you will take necessary action and respond to m

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three required points: you describe the jacket’s torn underarms and loose pocket stitching, explain that a customer-service employee refused the return, and request either a replacement or a full refund. Your purpose is clear from the opening, and the requested remedy gives the letter a definite position. The details about the damage and the refusal support your complaint, although the account of the return attempt could be extended—for example, by stating when you bought the jacket or what reason the employee gave for refusing it. The closing is cut off at “respond to m”, which leaves the final request incomplete. Overall, the task is clearly addressed, but fuller supporting detail and a complete ending would strengthen the letter further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible sequence: you introduce the complaint, describe the damage, explain the unsuccessful return, and state the remedy you want. Separate paragraphs help distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “I visited” and “I would like” make the progression easy to follow. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward: “In the beginning” does not clearly connect the initial excitement to discovering the damage, and “I visited to return” repeats the earlier reference to returning the jacket. The final sentence is also incomplete, so the ending does not provide a fully finished conclusion. To improve, use more precise transitions and avoid repeating information when moving between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for a complaint, including “dissatisfaction,” “damaged,” “replacement,” and “full refund,” so the reader can understand the issue and the outcome you seek. There is some useful specificity in “the underarm is torn from both sides” and “the pocket was also loosely stitched.” However, spelling errors such as “begining,” “sometme,” “returen,” and “underdtand” are noticeable, and some expressions are not natural in this context, including “try new jacket” and “make him understand the situation.” The range is adequate for the task but remains somewhat limited, with repeated references to the item and the employee. Check spelling carefully and build a wider set of natural complaint-related phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “I tried to make him understand the situation but not received any positive response.” The main events are generally understandable, and the letter uses past forms to describe the purchase and return attempt. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns are frequent enough to affect smooth reading. For example, “I visited the store to return the jacket that I bought, however I was refused to return the item” joins clauses awkwardly and uses an incorrect passive pattern; “I visited to return” also lacks a required object after “visited.” In “I was very excited to try new jacket,” an article is missing. Practise accurate clause joining, articles, and verb patterns, then proofread each sentence.

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