Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-06

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 Friend,

I have pink bicycle as you know that you it is no longer useful for me because I bought a moter bike. You always wanted bicycle same as me. So I have decided to sell someone, I remember you. Bicycle is still in good condition. It works well. I just repaired it. It’s still new. It also has a bucket in front of the bicycle where you can put your things like bag, water bottle etc. I know you travel to school by walking and you don’t have enough money to buy new cycle. So I have decided to sell it to you. It’s very cheaper. I will be very easy to ride. I bought it for $150 but I will give you in just $80 because you are my close friend. If you don’t you enough money. I can also sell it to you in just $50. I just needed $50. Let me know your decision.

Thanks

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. However, the development of these ideas is quite basic. For example, the description of the bike is limited to its color, condition, and the presence of a basket. To reach a higher band, you should provide more descriptive detail and expand on the reasons for selling it to your friend. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, but the overall development of ideas remains somewhat simplistic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the reason for selling to the description and finally the offer. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and mechanical. You rely heavily on short, simple sentences, which makes the flow feel choppy. There is a lack of transition words or complex linking phrases that would help connect your ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is also absent; even in a short letter, separating the introduction, body, and closing would improve the structure significantly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it is quite basic and repetitive. You use simple terms like 'good condition', 'works well', and 'new'. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'bucket' (which should be 'basket') and 'very cheaper' (which should be 'much cheaper'). To improve, you should aim for a wider range of adjectives and more precise collocations. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I have pink bicycle' (missing article), 'sell someone' (missing preposition), and 'If you don’t you enough money' (missing verb). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, with very few attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar—such as articles, prepositions, and verb usage—prevents the text from reaching a higher band. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement and sentence construction.

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

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