Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-04

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 7.5)

Dear Yash,

Hi! How're you? It's been a long time since we met at Susan's party. I'm penning this to let you know that I'm selling off my bicycle. I remember you saying that you wanted to buy one.

I'm relocating to Vancouver at least for the next 4 years. My company is offering me full transit coverage, so shifting the bicycle that far does not make sense. It is a smart bicycle in black colour with a small display on it, along with a GPS tracker. The bicycle has a bottle holder and automatic gears as well. You can mount your phone as well. This black beauty is a great value for money

Hey! Let's talk over a good dinner at my place next Sunday 07th August. We shall dine and wine while you can also see the bicycle and even carry it if at all.

Ping me to confirm.

Lots of love,

Trupen

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly explained your relocation as the reason for selling the bike, provided a detailed description of the bicycle's features, and gave a logical reason why your friend would appreciate it. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and informal style throughout. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the content is well-developed. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on why your friend specifically would enjoy the bike, perhaps by mentioning their interest in cycling or commuting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'I'm penning this to' and 'along with', which help connect your sentences. However, the transition between the description of the bike and the invitation to dinner is a bit abrupt. Using more varied linking words or phrases to connect these sections would improve the flow and make the progression of ideas feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for this informal task. Phrases like 'selling off', 'transit coverage', and 'black beauty' show a natural command of English. There is an attempt to use descriptive language, which is effective. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'carry it if at all', which sounds slightly unnatural in this context. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly and effectively, with a good balance of common and slightly more descriptive terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is used correctly to support the informal tone. There are a few minor slips, such as 'at least for the next 4 years' which could be phrased more naturally as 'for at least the next four years'. Additionally, '07th August' is slightly unconventional in a letter format. Despite these small issues, your control over grammar is strong, and your meaning is always clear, which is the most important aspect of this criterion.

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

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