Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-17

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,

How are you?

I hope you are doing well. It has been a long time we talked to each other since we finished college last year. I really missed you a lot.

Actually I'm selling off my bicycle because I recently bought a brand new motor-cycle for myself .I needed to travel long distances for my university classes and it was time consuming unnecessarily.

My bicycle is 2 years old in well-maintained condition. I recently changes tires and hand brakes. It also has a very good and sophisticated gear system which is appropriate for long distance rides. Additionally, lights on front and back makes it even more noticeable and helps in night riding in dim light areas.

I thought you do not have any means of transport for you university .This cycle will definitely be beneficial as you are health conscious and fitness is your hobby.

So I believe you will love to buy the cycle from me and will love it.

Yours lovingly

Shahbaaz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required in the prompt. You clearly explain why you are no longer using your bicycle, stating that you purchased a motorcycle for longer university commutes because the bicycle journey was time-consuming. You also provide a good description of the bicycle, noting its two-year age, well-maintained condition, recently changed tires and brakes, sophisticated gear system, and front and rear lights. Finally, you adequately explain why your friend would like to have it, mentioning their lack of transport and their interest in health and fitness. The tone is appropriately informal and friendly throughout, fitting the general training letter format well. All parts of the task are fully addressed, earning a solid band score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Your letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a standard informal correspondence layout. You use paragraphing appropriately to separate different topics, such as the greeting, the reason for selling, the description of the bike, and the pitch to your friend. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Actually', 'Additionally', and 'So', which help connect your ideas. However, paragraph transitions and referencing could be slightly smoother to achieve a higher band. For example, some sentences feel a bit abrupt. Overall, the message flows coherently and the reader can easily follow your train of thought throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a personal letter. You successfully use common and some less common lexical items related to transport and fitness, such as 'well-maintained condition', 'sophisticated gear system', and 'health conscious'. There are a few minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward phrasing, such as 'It has been a long time we talked to each other' (missing 'since' or 'that') and 'changes tires' instead of 'changed tires'. Despite these occasional slips, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and precisely without causing any misunderstanding for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

Your response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a decent grasp of English grammar. Examples of good structures include 'Additionally, lights on front and back makes it even more noticeable and helps in night riding' and 'This cycle will definitely be beneficial as you are health conscious'. However, there are a few grammatical errors present, such as subject-verb agreement ('lights... makes' instead of 'make'), missing prepositions ('for you university' instead of 'for your university'), and minor punctuation issues. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the writing from achieving a higher band score due to lack of complete accuracy in complex structures.

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

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