Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-03

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 Mike,

I hope this letter finds you well,

I am writing to you regarding for my bicycle , As you may know that i have one bicycle at my house which i has been using for past 1 year and finally the time arrives that i really want to sell this bicycle to you if you are interested.

There is a reason behind to selling this bicycle because I am done with my university studies and after completing the study I got the job in the multinational company called AJAX as a financial advisor which bring may opportunities for my career.as well as this company location is 1 hour drive from my house which can not be possible to travel with the bicycle it is only possible by car and that is why i am planning to buy car very soon.

The bicycle has black color with seven gears and thick tiers which can also useful in mountains.

I am selling it to you with a very cheap rate only 150 $ to you , if you are interested then let me know soon.

Yours lovingly,

We

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: 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 example, the description of the bicycle is quite brief, and the explanation of why your friend would like it is implied rather than explicitly stated. To improve, try to expand on the features of the bike or the benefits to your friend to provide a more comprehensive response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, the transition 'as well as this company location' is awkward, and the use of commas instead of full stops leads to run-on sentences, such as in the second paragraph. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence is clearly separated would significantly enhance the flow and logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic terms like 'one bicycle' and 'very cheap rate'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'thick tiers' (should be 'tires') and 'bring may opportunities' (should be 'brings many opportunities'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and precise collocations related to the topic of selling an item.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('i has been using', 'it is only possible'), incorrect preposition usage ('regarding for my bicycle'), and punctuation errors, particularly the overuse of commas to join independent clauses. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often faulty. Focusing on basic sentence construction and ensuring correct verb tenses and subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.

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.