Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-15

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 Rahul,

I hope you are doing well, I am writing this letter to inform you that i am selling my bicycle that you love to drive when we were in collage. As you know my life getting so busy day by day. Few weeks ago i bought a car because my job is so far from my current location that is one of the major reason that i am not able to drive my bicycle. My bicycle is quite in a good shape. i just installed the mountain tires and replaced brakes. The extra stuff that is not available these days normal that i fit the location tracking device which was gifted by my uncle. I believe that you are the in my contacts that are not only interested in bicycle but can also keep it maintained. This bicycle is very close to my heart that is why i want to sell it to someone who is close to me. It is only 899$ which is quite cheap as compare to other models. i hope you will come to buy my bicycle.

Your close friend

Ram Verma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining why the bicycle is no longer used, describing the bike, and explaining why the friend would like it. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the description of the bicycle focuses on technical additions like 'mountain tires' and a 'location tracking device' but lacks a more vivid description of the bike itself. The purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the response successfully addresses the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear progression from the reason for selling to the description and finally the invitation to purchase. Paragraphing is present, though the letter could benefit from a clearer separation between the introduction, the body, and the closing. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'As you know' and 'That is why', but some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, and the reader can easily follow the writer's intent throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'drive my bicycle' (bicycles are ridden, not driven) and 'extra stuff that is not available these days normal'. While the writer attempts to use more specific vocabulary like 'location tracking device', there are minor errors in word choice and collocation. The range is sufficient to communicate the intended meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'my life getting so busy' (missing auxiliary verb), 'that is one of the major reason' (pluralization error), and 'i am the in my contacts' (missing noun). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing capital letters for the pronoun 'I'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score in this criterion.

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

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