Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-18

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 7.5)

Dear Aman,

Hope you are doing well. My reason to write this letter is that I have finally decided to part ways with my bicycle, and was curious to know if you would be interested in buying it.

As you know, I have been very much occupied lately with my new startup which restricts me to go on bike rides like earlier, and now it just sits in the garage. It is a Hercules mountain bike with 18 gears and a broad handle bar. The tires are brand new and there is also a headlight for better vision during the night time.

I know you have always wanted to get a mountain bike so you could go biking with your older brothers. Also it will be a major upgrade from your current BMX. Let me know what you think about the offer. I will be waiting for you reply.

Yours Lovingly,

Angad Singh.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The student successfully covers all bullet points required by the prompt in a friendly and appropriate letter format. For the first bullet point, the writer clearly explains why the bicycle is no longer used, noting that being occupied with a new startup restricts bike rides. For the second point, the bicycle is described effectively with specific details such as being a 'Hercules mountain bike with 18 gears and a broad handle bar' along with brand new tires and a headlight. Finally, the third bullet point is met by explaining why the friend would want it, mentioning that the friend always wanted a mountain bike to ride with older brothers and that it represents a major upgrade from a BMX. All parts of the task are well-addressed with relevant and fully developed ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced and progress naturally from the friendly opening, through the explanation and description of the bicycle, to the final pitch and sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the letter, such as the reason for writing, the bike's details, and the appeal to the friend. Cohesive devices are handled well, using appropriate referencing like 'As you know' and 'Also it will be a major upgrade'. The flow of the text is smooth and appropriate for a personal correspondence task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and natural range of vocabulary suitable for a general task. Phrases like 'part ways with my bicycle', 'brand new', and 'major upgrade' show good control of everyday and semi-formal vocabulary. There are a few slightly awkward collocations or minor phrasing choices, such as 'restricts me to go on bike rides' instead of 'restricts me from going', but these do not impede communication. The use of less common items like 'startup' and 'headlight' is contextually relevant and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writing features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'My reason to write this letter is that I have finally decided...'. There are a few minor grammatical slips, notably 'restricts me to go' instead of 'restricts me from going' and 'waiting for you reply' instead of 'waiting for your reply'. However, the majority of sentences are error-free, punctuation is well handled, and the minor errors do not cause any difficulty for the reader or impede comprehension.

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

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