Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 max,

I hope you are doing good, I am writing you this letter to let you know about selling the bicycle which i bought couple of years back.

As you know I am moving out of town in couple of weeks, I will not need it there as the transportation is quite difficult. If you remember, it is the same bicycle which we discussed upon, I bought it back in 2024, it is a black color bicycle with 24 gears both side as well as it has disk breaks on the rear wheel which makes it safe to drive, It also comes with a safety helmet as well, all to gather at a price of $120.

I think you would be interested in buying it, as i remember you have recently joined a running club, and they usually go on rides as well. I think this bike is going to be a perfect fit for you to get comfortable with.

Yours Lovingly,

Alex John

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 the reason for selling the bike (moving out of town), provide a descriptive overview of the bicycle (black, 24 gears, disc brakes), and offer a logical reason why your friend would appreciate it (joining a running club). The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the purpose of the communication is clear throughout. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more vivid detail about the bike's condition or your shared history with it to further develop the ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'As you know', 'If you remember', and 'I think' to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical. For example, the transition between the description of the bike and the price could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures are a bit repetitive. Overall, the message is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different requirements of the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, such as 'transportation', 'discussed', and 'comfortable'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and informal phrasing, such as 'all to gather' (should be 'all together') and 'drive' (bicycles are usually 'ridden'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the variety and precision required for a higher band. Incorporating more specific adjectives or collocations related to cycling would enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing you this letter to let you know...' and 'I think you would be interested in buying it, as i remember...'. There are some grammatical errors, such as the inconsistent capitalization of 'i' and 'max', and minor punctuation issues like comma splices. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent capitalization and ensuring that complex sentences are punctuated correctly will help improve your accuracy.

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

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