Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-05

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 John,

I hope you are doing well. I am doing well too. It's been a long time since we last caught up.

I am writing to offer you my bicycle. Unfortunately, I met with an accident a month ago, and my leg was fractured badly. The doctor recommended bed rest for a minimum of a year, so I would like you to have my bicycle, as I am no longer able to use it. I heard that you are also looking to buy a new one. Instead, you can use my bicycle. The bicycle has mountain tyres and 5 gears, which can be operated by charging and manually as well. So, I hope you like the colour, and features, why shouldn't you give it a try when you are free. I would be so glad if you visited my home and had it.

I am looking forward to seeing you soon at my place.

Thank you.

Best Regards,

sushi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You explained why you are no longer using the bike (the accident), described the bike (mountain tyres, 5 gears), and explained why your friend would like it (he is looking for a new one). The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To improve, you could provide more vivid details about the bicycle's condition or appearance to make the description more engaging. The explanation regarding the gears being 'operated by charging' is slightly confusing, as it is unclear if this is an electric bike or a standard bicycle, which slightly impacts the clarity of the description.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the opening to the explanation of the situation, the description of the item, and finally the invitation. Paragraphing is used, though the letter is quite short, making the structure feel a bit compressed. You use some cohesive devices like 'Unfortunately' and 'Instead', which help the flow. However, some transitions are a bit abrupt, such as the jump from describing the gears to asking the friend to visit. Using a wider variety of linking words would help the ideas connect more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'caught up', 'bed rest', and 'fractured badly' are natural and appropriate. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'operated by charging', which is technically unclear for a bicycle. Additionally, the phrase 'had it' at the end of the second paragraph is slightly unnatural; 'pick it up' or 'take it' would be more idiomatic. Overall, the vocabulary is adequate for the task, but using more precise descriptive adjectives would elevate the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'why shouldn't you give it a try when you are free', which is a slightly awkward way to phrase an invitation. Punctuation is generally correct, though the flow could be improved by avoiding overly long sentences. You have good control over basic tenses, and your errors do not impede communication, which is a positive sign.

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.