Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-29

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 Aarav,

I hope this letter find you in high spirit and rediant health. I am writing this letter to share that I have a bicycle that you are no longer using. I would like to sell it too.

Last week I pourchase new motor cycle. That is very smart and long efficente with battery back up. Also next week change my job location 10 KM far comparer to prasent job location. So I think that is no need more.

My bicycle just 1 year ago I purchage. It is look like new and also every featurede loaded. Like speed tracker, 5 gear range and turbo trye.

I think this bicycle useful for your child. Because now I know your child gose right now walking. You can purchage for your child. May be helpful for routing work also time saving for school up down.

My pay regerds to you parents and loving kids.

Your faithfully,

Ghanshyam Patel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all three bullet points: explaining why the bike is no longer used, describing the bicycle, and suggesting why the friend would want it. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited and the tone is inconsistent. For instance, the explanation regarding the job location is difficult to follow due to grammatical errors. While the task requirements are met, the content lacks the necessary detail and clarity to reach a higher band. The letter format is generally followed, though the closing 'Your faithfully' is incorrect for a letter to a friend, which should be 'Yours sincerely' or 'Best regards'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is divided into paragraphs, which helps the overall structure. However, the progression of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is very limited and sometimes mechanical or misused, such as the abrupt transition in the second paragraph. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the logic of the narrative. The flow between sentences is frequently interrupted by grammatical errors, which hinders the overall coherence of the message.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, with several spelling errors that occasionally impede understanding, such as 'rediant' for radiant, 'pourchase' for purchase, and 'featurede' for feature-loaded. The range of vocabulary is limited to simple, everyday words, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise language. Collocations are often unnatural, such as 'long efficente' or 'routing work'. To improve, you should focus on learning the correct spelling of common verbs and expanding your range of descriptive adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a lack of control over basic grammatical structures. Frequent errors in verb tense, word order, and sentence construction are present throughout the text, such as 'I hope this letter find you' (should be 'finds') and 'my bicycle just 1 year ago I purchage' (should be 'I purchased my bicycle a year ago'). Complex sentence structures are attempted but are almost always faulty, leading to confusion. Simple sentences are also prone to errors. Significant improvement in basic grammar and proofreading is required to ensure clarity.

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

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