Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-31

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/madam,

I am writing to inform your about the jacket that, i have bought recently from your store.Actually, on 20th of june i visited to your store and i bought a jacket that cost me $1200.But when i went home, i was showing it to my wife i noticed that, the lather of jacket was damaged from inside.

Furthermore, next morning i went to store to return the jacket but your store customer service staff denied to accept the return, they told me that their store has no return policy on sold goods.

Lastly, i would like to say that as i have spent $1200 on jacket,however its not use full for me, for that reason i want you to accept the return or exchage the jacket.Your decision in this matter would be really appreciated.

I look forward to hear back from you.

Best regards,

Deepak

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three required points: you identify the jacket’s internal damage, explain that staff refused the return because of the store’s policy, and request a return or exchange. The specific purchase price and timing help make the complaint relevant. However, the requested remedy could be explained more fully—for example, state whether you prefer a refund or replacement and ask the manager to review the staff’s decision. The response is also three words below the 150-word minimum, so it does not fully meet the task requirement. Adding a little detail about the damage or the outcome you expect would strengthen the letter while bringing it to the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear sequence: purchase and discovery of the damage, the attempted return, and your requested resolution. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “Lastly” help signal this progression, and the closing is appropriate. The main limitation is that the ideas are compressed into a single block, so the stages of the complaint are not visually separated. Use short paragraphs for the problem, the return attempt, and the requested action. Some transitions also feel formulaic; a direct link such as “When I returned to the store the following morning” would connect events more naturally. Overall, the reader can follow the message without difficulty.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the complaint, including “damaged,” “customer service staff,” “return policy,” and “exchange.” These choices make the situation understandable. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision and control: “lather” should be “leather,” “use full” should be “useful,” and “exchage” should be “exchange.” The phrase “accept the return” is understandable, but “process my return” would sound more natural in a formal complaint. “Inform your” also uses the wrong word; “inform you” is the appropriate expression. Proofreading spelling and choosing more natural complaint-letter phrases would make your vocabulary more accurate and effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “as I have spent $1200 on jacket” and a time clause describing when you noticed the damage. The message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. Examples include “I am writing to inform your” and “I look forward to hear,” where the verb patterns are incorrect; use “inform you” and “look forward to hearing.” Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “on jacket” and “your store.Actually.” Capitalise “I” and month names, and add spaces after full stops. More accurate verb patterns and punctuation would improve control while retaining your varied sentence attempts.

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.