Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction with my new purchase. I recently bought a black leather jacket from your shop as there was a sale going on.

At first I was so happy with the deal but when I got home then I realized the zipper is not working properly. After that, I went back to the shop with the intention of returning the jacket. When I talked to the customer service about my issue and I also asked whether they had another copy or not. But nobody was willing to do exchange or return which made me feel really disappointed.

I usually shop from your store five to six times in a month, being a regular customer I did not get any privilege. However, I paid $65 for the jacket and I hope you get back to me soon.

Given these circumstances, I hope you take this matter seriously and resolve the issue as soon as possible. Please let me know whether I can get exchange or refund.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Your faithfully

Nancy

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points and maintains a clear, polite complaint throughout. You identify the problem specifically—the jacket’s zipper “is not working properly”—and explain that staff refused an exchange or return, then request a refund or exchange from the manager. Mentioning the $65 price and your regular custom gives the complaint useful context. The request is clear, but the desired outcome could be developed more precisely: for example, state whether you prefer a replacement or refund and ask the manager to review the store’s refusal. This would make the proposed resolution more fully supported and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: purchase, discovery of the fault, attempted return, and requested resolution. Paragraphing also separates the background from the complaint and closing request, so the reader can follow your purpose easily. Linking phrases such as “At first,” “After that,” and “Given these circumstances” help signal progression, although some transitions feel formulaic or are attached to awkward sentence structures. The sentence beginning “When I talked to the customer service” combines several points unclearly, and “However” does not express a strong contrast with the preceding statement. Smoother links and clearer sentence boundaries would make the progression more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “dissatisfaction,” “intention,” “privilege,” and “resolve the issue.” These choices communicate the situation and desired action, and the tone is generally appropriate. However, some expressions are imprecise or do not collocate naturally: “another copy” is less suitable for a jacket, “get exchange” is not idiomatic, and “privilege” does not clearly convey the service you expected as a regular customer. Replacing these with more precise phrases such as “another jacket,” “an exchange,” and “courtesy” would improve naturalness. The vocabulary is functional, but greater precision and control of common complaint-letter phrasing are needed.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, such as “I recently bought a black leather jacket … as there was a sale going on” and “Given these circumstances, I hope you take this matter seriously.” Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors occur. In “when I got home then I realized,” the time clause does not need “then”; “the zipper is not working” would be more consistent as “the zipper was not working” in this past narrative. The sentence beginning “When I talked to the customer service” is a fragment because it starts with “When” but has no main clause. The closing “Your faithfully” also needs the correct form, “Yours faithfully.” More accurate clause construction and tense consistency would strengthen the letter.

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