Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-28

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)

i am writing this letter to return a jacket which is bought from your store, and its defected and i want to return it.

Dear Sir/Madam,

On Saturday, I was came to your store for shopping. i bought too many cloths from your store. After shopping, I eat dinner at 1 restraunt around 8pm and may be i wreached at home around 10pm. then i went to my closet for hanging the jacket. I noticed it is damaged from inside left side of the jacket. then i Packed it into original packing for return.

Next day around 12pm i went to your store for return that jacket and that time Akshay employee is present at the counter. I request him that i want to return this jacket which one is i bought it last night. I show him purchase receipt which is the proof of jacket, when i bought it. It shows a time, when i made a payment. I explain him, Why i want to return it. But he did not understand my problem. He told me, contact to store manager. He has no authority to take return it and give refund of that jacket.

You are a store manager and you can understand my situation and you can explain this problem to the company, which company made this jacket. please help me to provide full refund.

Hope so i will see you soon.

Thank you,

Parminder Sandhu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three required points: you describe damage to the jacket’s inside left side, explain that the employee directed you to the manager, and request a full refund. The account is relevant and the reader can understand the outcome you want. However, some details are less fully developed than others. The description of the defect is brief, and the request that the manager explain the issue to the company is not clearly connected to resolving your complaint. You could strengthen the letter by stating when and where you bought the jacket, clarifying that the damage was present when you discovered it, and making a direct request for a refund or replacement. The opening also repeats the return request before the letter begins.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a generally clear sequence: you describe the purchase and discovery of the damage, recount the return attempt, and then address the manager with your request. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages. Some connections between details are less clear, however. The account of dinner and arriving home takes attention away from the complaint, while phrases such as “then” and “that time” are used mechanically. The opening sentence before “Dear Sir/Madam” also interrupts the expected letter format and repeats information. To improve progression, begin with the salutation, group the purchase and defect details together, and use clearer links such as “When I inspected it at home” and “The following day.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main complaint, including “damaged,” “purchase receipt,” “authority,” and “full refund.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the letter less natural. For example, “defected” is not the usual adjective for a faulty item, and “take return it” does not express the action idiomatically. There are also spelling errors such as “cloths,” “restraunt,” and “wreached.” Choose precise retail vocabulary and check spelling: “faulty” or “defective jacket,” “accept the return,” and “issue a refund” would make the complaint clearer and more appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the overall meaning is usually understandable. Some errors in verb forms, sentence construction, articles, and capitalization remain. For instance, “I was came” should be “I came,” and “which one is i bought it last night” needs a simpler structure, such as “which I bought last night.” In “I noticed it is damaged,” the past-tense narrative calls for “I noticed it was damaged.” Capitalize “I” and begin sentences consistently with capital letters. To improve accuracy, use straightforward past-tense sentences for the events and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb before adding extra clauses.

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

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