Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-07

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 6.5)

Dear Paul,

Hey! What's up? I am writing this letter about selling my bicycle.

As you know that last year I bought a new bicycle for cycling fitness club. But now I do not have enough time to participate in cycling activities due to my tight work schedule. The timing of the club and my work are clashing, so that I have decided to sell it.

You have seen my bicycle already. It is good in condition along front and back lights, which is convenient during evenings. In addition, it has phone stand on the handle offers to check important texts during cycling.

The idea to sell my bicycle to you came in my mind, because I know you are recently looking for it for your fitness plan. I believe, this is good and cheaper option for you.

Let me know if you want a ride on bicycle.

With love,

Sandeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain why you are no longer using the bicycle, describe its features such as the lights and phone stand, and provide a logical reason why your friend would be interested in purchasing it. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and informal register throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands the purpose of the communication. To improve further, you could expand slightly on the description of the bicycle to make it more persuasive, but overall, the task requirements are met effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which helps the reader follow your message easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In addition' and 'because', to link your thoughts. However, the transition between sentences could be smoother in some places. For instance, the opening is a bit abrupt. Using a wider range of linking words or phrases would help improve the flow and make the connections between your ideas more explicit, moving you toward a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using words like 'participate', 'activities', and 'convenient' correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'good in condition' (should be 'in good condition') and 'came in my mind' (should be 'came to my mind'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over common English collocations. To reach a higher band, focus on using more natural phrasing and idiomatic expressions suitable for informal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'As you know that last year I bought' (the 'that' is unnecessary) and 'it has phone stand' (missing an article: 'a phone stand'). Additionally, 'I am writing this letter about selling' is slightly awkward; 'I am writing to you because I want to sell' would be more natural. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. Increasing your accuracy in articles and prepositions will significantly improve your score.

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.