Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-01

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 issue regarding the jacket which I recently bought from your shop. Actually, I recently visited in your store at kingston and I bought a leather jacket for myself. It looks good on me when I tried It in the store so, I purchased It but when I reached at my home I found that the zip is not working properly.

after that, I also try to call the receptionist and express my problem to him and He says that I need to come in the same store again and explain the problem but when I reached there nobody take me seriously and attended me very unprofessionaly and the staf refuse to gave me refund for the damaged product.

I will appreciate If you ask the staf members to give all my money back and give a proper training and education to the staf that how to attend the customers profesionaly in the store.

I look forward to your prompt response.

yours faithfully,

Rajan Bali.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three required points: the jacket’s zip is faulty, you explain that staff refused a refund when you returned, and you ask the manager to refund you and train the staff. The purpose is clear and the request is relevant. The problem and the return visit are described, but some details are less fully developed: for example, you do not say when you bought the jacket or whether you would accept an exchange or repair instead of a refund. The request for staff training is understandable, though it receives little explanation. To strengthen the letter, give a little more specific context and state your preferred remedy clearly while keeping the tone consistently formal.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall sequence: purchase and discovery of the fault, contact with the store, then a request to the manager. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and phrases such as “after that” and “I look forward to your prompt response” guide the reader. However, some links feel mechanical, and the second paragraph combines the phone call and the in-store experience in a long sequence, making the events harder to follow. Capitalisation and paragraph breaks are also inconsistent. Separate the call from the return visit, and use clearer time links such as “When I returned to the store” so each event is easy to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and desired outcome, including “damaged product,” “refund,” and “prompt response.” There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “zip is not working properly.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, including “express my issue,” “attended me,” and “give all my money back.” Spelling and word-form errors such as “unprofessionaly,” “staf,” and “profesionaly” also reduce precision. Aim for standard complaint-letter collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, say that staff “assisted” you and that you are requesting a “full refund.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand the sequence of events. However, control is uneven, especially in longer sentences. Examples include “when I reached at my home I found that the zip is not working” and “nobody take me seriously,” where tense, verb form, or sentence construction is faulty. Capital letters are also used inconsistently, and some sentences run together without clear punctuation. Practise keeping past events consistently in the past and dividing complex ideas into shorter, correctly punctuated sentences. More accurate control of these basic patterns would make your message clearer and more professional.

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

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