Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-02

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to inform you that I am a regular customer at your store, and I recently bought a leather jacket from your store. Actually, when I got home and opened the box, I found that the jacket was damaged.

Firstly, I purchased this jacket yesterday because it was on discount, and I loved the colour. It is a light blue leather jacket from the Coach Brand. But when I got home, I showed this jacket to my mother, and we found that it was damaged on the right arm. There was a small hole, and the leather was removed from the cloth. Honestly, I felt so sad because it is my dream jacket, and I saved money to buy it for my birthday party.

Moreover, my mother suggested that I could return this jacket, but when I visited the store and talked with your employee, he showed me a bad attitude and refused to accept the return. Furthermore, I explained him the whole thing like I am your regular customer, but he not listen me.

I would really appreciate it if you could give me a refund or replace this jacket with a new one. Although I think you need to talk to your employees about how to speak with customers and help them when they need it.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Sargun

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three required points clearly: you describe the hole on the jacket’s right arm, explain that an employee refused the return, and request either a refund or a replacement. The personal context—that it was your “dream jacket” and bought for a birthday party—also helps explain why the problem matters to you. The request is direct and appropriate for a letter to a manager. To make the response even more complete, give a little more detail about the return visit, such as when you went or what reason the employee gave for refusing the return. Overall, the purpose and desired outcome are well established, with only minor scope to develop the account further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression from the purchase and damage, to the attempted return, and finally to the requested solution. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “Furthermore” help the reader follow the account. The opening and closing are also suitable for a formal complaint. At times, however, the linking words feel slightly mechanical, and “Moreover” does not add a particularly distinct relationship between the ideas. The final sentence about staff training is relevant but could be connected more smoothly to the refund or replacement request. Using a few more natural transitions and clearer links between related details would make the cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use enough vocabulary to explain the complaint and make the situation specific, including “leather jacket,” “small hole,” “refund,” and “replace.” The emotional detail is understandable, and the tone is generally appropriate. There are some imprecise or unnatural choices, however: “the leather was removed from the cloth” is unclear, while “showed me a bad attitude” and “talk with customers” are less natural in a formal complaint. “Coach Brand” would also read more naturally as “Coach.” These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the problem, but more precise collocations would strengthen the letter. Aim to describe the damage and the employee’s conduct in concise, conventional complaint-letter language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and more complex sentences, such as “I would really appreciate it if you could give me a refund” and the sentence beginning “Although.” Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “I explained him the whole thing” needs an object pattern such as “I explained the whole situation to him,” and “he not listen me” should be “he did not listen to me.” In “I am a regular customer … and I recently bought,” the tense shift is understandable, though the opening could be more consistently framed around the completed purchase. The final “Although” clause is also incomplete as written. Checking verb forms, prepositions, and sentence completeness would improve accuracy while preserving your range.

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

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