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 Alex,

I hope you are doing good.

I am writing to bring to your attention regarding selling of my old bicycle because i am no longer using it as i received a new motorcycle gift from my dad on my birthday.

To begin with, i bought this bicycle 2 years ago and has been very reliable and has ample of aftermarket accessories installed in it. For example, high beam led light has been installed for the night visibility to increase the road presence. Furthermore, it comes with inbuilt horn and bottle holder to increase the safety on the roads. In addition, it is black and white in color and has 32 gears which makes it easier to hike with the bicycle.

Secondly, it is limited edition from and has only limited cycles around the world. Moreover, you told me you always wanted to buy special edition cycle to take part in cycling competition and because its your favorite color i think it will save your lot of money to get new bicycle.

In addition, it is recently serviced with all new brakes and tire which make this bicycle ready for its next adventures trip and it will save you some money instead of buying and paying higher price to buy new bicycle.

Thanks for your understanding and time. I am waiting for your prompt response.

Your faithfully,

Rohan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You explained why you are selling the bike (new motorcycle), described its features (gears, accessories, color), and provided a persuasive reason why your friend would want it (cycling competitions). The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are fully developed without repetition. For instance, the point about saving money is mentioned twice in the final two paragraphs; consolidating these would make your argument more concise and impactful.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the task. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' 'In addition,' and 'Secondly' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'it is limited edition from and has only limited cycles,' where the sentence structure breaks down. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'aftermarket accessories,' 'road presence,' and 'prompt response.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'hike with the bicycle' (likely meaning 'ride' or 'climb') and 'adventures trip' (should be 'adventure trip'). There are also minor errors in phrasing, such as 'ample of aftermarket accessories' (should be 'an ample supply of' or simply 'many'). Expanding your range of natural collocations will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the night visibility', 'the road presence'), subject-verb agreement ('it... has been very reliable'), and capitalization ('i' instead of 'I'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'it is limited edition from and has only limited cycles.' While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammar and punctuation will significantly improve your writing.

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

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