Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-03

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 John,

I hope you're doing great. I want to share an issue with recent purchase from JD sports. It was matter of last week when I purchased the north face jacket from your store but unfortunately it was damaged from inside. Beside, I did not realized when I tried on in the store. On the top of it, after one day, I came in store and request to exchange with the default purchase but the employee was failed to do so as she said she can not exchange it.

I would like you to keep an eye on this matter seriously as I spent $515 on that jacket and it was huge amount so I would like you to resolve this issue as soon as possible because I am your loyal coustomer since five years and this issue never happened before and it is my first time ever I am requesting to exchange this iteam.

I hope you will consider this matter as urgent and I will wait to hear something positive from you.

Kind Regards,

Kiran

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter covers all three required points: it says the jacket was damaged inside, explains that a staff member refused an exchange, and asks the manager to resolve the matter. The purchase price and your history as a loyal customer help explain why you expect a response. However, the problem and the return visit are not fully clear: “damaged from inside” does not describe the defect, and the account does not say whether you showed the damage or what reason the employee gave beyond saying exchanges were not possible. Your requested outcome is also broad; specify whether you want a refund, replacement, or another remedy. These details would make the purpose and desired action more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The message follows a sensible overall order: it introduces the purchase and defect, recounts the attempted return, then makes a request and closes politely. Paragraphing separates the explanation from the request, and phrases such as “after one day” help signal sequence. Some connections are less clear or feel mechanical, however. “Beside” and “On the top of it” do not accurately express the relationships between the ideas, while “the default purchase” makes the return request difficult to follow. The second paragraph also combines the price, loyalty, urgency, and exchange request in one long sentence. Use simpler, more precise transitions and separate the requested remedy from the supporting explanation to improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the situation and maintain a polite tone, including “damaged,” “exchange,” “loyal customer,” and “resolve this issue.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “consider this matter as urgent.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “damaged from inside,” “default purchase,” “keep an eye on this matter,” and “requesting to exchange this item.” Spelling errors such as “coustomer” and “iteam” also reduce accuracy. Choose expressions that precisely describe the defect and the remedy, and check spelling carefully; this would make the message more natural and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, for example, “I hope you will consider this matter as urgent and I will wait to hear something positive from you.” Meaning is generally clear, and the reader can follow the main events. Some grammatical errors remain, though. In “I did not realized,” the verb after “did not” should be in its base form; “I came in store” needs an article or possessive determiner; and “the employee was failed to do so” uses an incorrect passive construction. The long sentence beginning “I would like you to keep an eye…” also joins several ideas without clear sentence boundaries. Review verb forms, articles, and sentence punctuation to improve control.

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.