Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-11

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 5.0)

Dear Saima, how are you? I hope you are doing well, as know that recently I enroll myself in university which so far from my house that why I did not use bicycle more, my bicycle is in very good condition and brand new with their warranty card I purchased last year also discuss with you before buying it if you remember.in short my bicycle has a great function of speed and quality of seats are comfortable and long lasting. Moreover, I am interested in to buy a new car for my comfort zone this is the reason be hide of all praises of my bicycle. I must say that you must like it, waiting for your positive response. Yours faithfully Maham Ali

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: why you are not using the bike, a description of the bike, and why your friend would like it. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of your ideas. The explanation for selling the bike is clear, but the description of the bicycle and the reasons why your friend would want it are quite brief. To improve, you should expand on the features of the bike and provide more specific details about why it would suit your friend's needs. The under-length nature of the response prevents a higher score in this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. While the tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, the lack of punctuation and run-on sentences creates a disjointed flow. You have used some basic cohesive devices like 'moreover' and 'in short', but the overall structure is weak. To improve, ensure you use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your sentences more naturally. The current lack of sentence boundaries makes the text feel rushed and disorganized.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for a simple letter, but it is quite limited. Phrases like 'great function of speed' and 'comfort zone' are used incorrectly or sound unnatural in this context. There are also some spelling errors, such as 'be hide' instead of 'behind'. To reach a higher band, try to use more precise adjectives to describe the bicycle's condition and features. Instead of simple descriptors, aim for more descriptive language that would help your friend visualize the bike. Expanding your range of vocabulary will help you express your ideas with more clarity and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammar is characterized by frequent errors that occasionally impede communication. There are significant issues with sentence structure, such as run-on sentences and missing punctuation (e.g., '...house that why I did not use bicycle more, my bicycle is...'). You also struggle with verb tenses and prepositions, such as 'I am interested in to buy' instead of 'I am interested in buying'. The range of structures is limited to simple sentences. To improve, focus on using correct punctuation to separate your thoughts and practice using more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences.

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

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