Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-25

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have a bicycle that you are no longer using. You would like to sell it to a friend.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
• explain why you are no longer using your bicycle.
• describe your bicycle.
• explain why you think your friend would like to have it.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear _________,

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Sam,

I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to let you know that I’m planning to sell my bicycle because I hardly use it anymore. Since I recently bought a car, I usually drive everywhere, and the bicycle has been sitting in my garage for months. Rather than letting it gather dust, I thought someone else could make good use of it.

It’s a black and blue mountain bike that I bought about two years ago. It’s still in excellent condition because I’ve always maintained it well. The brakes, gears, and tyres are all in great shape, and I even replaced the chain a few months ago. It also comes with a helmet, a water bottle holder, and a bike lock.

I immediately thought of you because I remember you mentioning that you wanted to start cycling to work and spend more time outdoors. This bike would be perfect for your daily commute as well as weekend rides. Since we’re friends, I’ll sell it to you for a much lower price than I would ask anyone else.

Let me know if you’re interested. I’d be happy to show it to you this weekend.

Best wishes,

Jashleen

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explain why you are no longer using the bicycle (purchasing a car), provide a detailed description of the bike (color, age, condition, and accessories), and offer a logical reason why your friend would be interested (their interest in cycling to work). The tone is consistently appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and helpful persona throughout. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have successfully met all the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving naturally from the reason for selling to the description of the item, and finally to the proposal for the friend. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Rather than', 'It also comes with', and 'Since we’re friends', which help to link sentences and ideas seamlessly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of your message, making the letter very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is natural and appropriate for the context. Phrases like 'gather dust', 'excellent condition', and 'daily commute' show a solid command of English collocations. The language is precise and fits the informal yet informative tone of a letter to a friend. While the vocabulary is not overly complex, it is used with high accuracy and flexibility, which is sufficient for this task. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

Your grammar is highly accurate throughout the letter. You use a variety of sentence structures, including complex sentences with 'because', 'since', and 'although' (implied), which are handled correctly. Punctuation is used effectively to manage the flow of your writing. There are no grammatical errors that impede communication, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. The control over verb tenses, such as the present perfect 'I’ve always maintained' and the simple past 'I bought', is excellent.

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