Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-23

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 5.5)

Dear John.

I hope you are doing well. I wanted to inform you that I having a spare bicycle and looking forward to sell, if you still interested please let me know.

I bought that bicycle 01 year ago suddenly my interest develop in the ongoing famous brands new models of bicycle which having a lot of technical features.

My previous bicycle in good condition all its tires were replaced 02 months ago with new ones. It having no such issue I hope you will enjoy its ride.

I remember that you like vintage bicycles and having a lot collection already and mentioned me that when I m looking to sell inform me first. So will be happy if you buy it, the demanding price of that bicycle is very reasonable and negotiable.

I hope to here from you soon, let me know if you are still want that bicycle.

With best wishes,

Amir Ahmed

want to use mountain bicycle/and currently purchase a new bicycle because

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining why you are no longer using the bike, describing it, and explaining why your friend would like it. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the bicycle is quite brief, and the explanation for why you are selling it could be more naturally phrased. While the task requirements are met, the content lacks the depth required for a higher band score. Ensure that each point is expanded upon with more descriptive detail to fully satisfy the 'well-developed' criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your message. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'I remember that' and 'I hope to', which provide a clear structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between ideas is slightly abrupt. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'it', 'that') is always clear to avoid ambiguity. The overall progression of the letter is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for this task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'vintage', 'negotiable', and 'technical features'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'looking forward to sell' (should be 'looking to sell'), 'my interest develop' (should be 'my interest developed'), and 'demanding price' (should be 'asking price'). These errors do not prevent understanding, but they do limit the precision of your writing. Expanding your range of collocations will help you reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Common issues include missing auxiliary verbs ('I having a spare bicycle'), incorrect verb tenses ('my interest develop'), and punctuation errors (e.g., 'Dear John.'). Additionally, there are fragments at the end of your response that appear to be notes rather than part of the letter. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a need for more careful proofreading and a stronger grasp of basic sentence construction and verb agreement.

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.