Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-25

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 shanaya ,

I hope you are dping well .I am writing this email about the bicycle you are looking for your younger brother .

Actually , I bought a bicycle last year for myself but I am not using it anymore because recently I got a car . Apart from this , I am working full-time which makes my life super busy, So dont get a chance for cycling.

As you know , my cycle is of a Racing Super company with super wide tyres . It has hydraulic breaks which makes it safe while riding . it comes with a super loud bell and easy to operate .

i am sure you will definitiely like my bicycle as you are looking a best gift for your brother . I know your brother is into a racing it would be great for him. if you want to buy this let me know i will save this for you.

With love , sania

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task instructions. First, the writer explains why they are no longer using the bicycle, mentioning the purchase of a car and a busy full-time work schedule. Second, the bicycle is described with specific details such as the Racing Super brand, wide tyres, hydraulic brakes, and a loud bell. Third, the letter explains why the friend would like to have it, noting that the friend's brother is looking for a bicycle and is interested in racing. The tone is appropriately informal and friendly throughout, and the purpose of the letter is fully realized. Therefore, this performance easily satisfies the Band 7 descriptors for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a clear logical organisation, beginning with a friendly opening and moving naturally through the required points to a concluding call to action. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as the reason for selling in the second paragraph and the description of the bike in the third paragraph. Cohesive devices are employed, though some transitions like 'Apart from this' and 'Actually' feel slightly mechanical. Referencing throughout is generally clear, allowing the reader to follow the train of thought easily from the bicycle's history to its specifications and the offer to sell. This aligns well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, and a score of 6.5 is awarded to reflect the slightly mechanical transitional phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a personal letter, successfully utilizing terms such as 'full-time', 'hydraulic brakes', and 'operate'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but word choice is occasionally imprecise or colloquial, such as 'Racing Super company' or 'into a racing'. Spelling and word-choice errors are present, including 'definitiely' and spacing issues around punctuation marks, but these do not impede communication. The lexical vocabulary is sufficient for the task and meets the criteria for Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses such as 'the bicycle you are looking for your younger brother' and subordinate clauses like 'because recently I got a car'. There are several grammatical and punctuation inaccuracies throughout the text, including spacing errors before commas and periods, capitalization slips ('i am sure'), and missing prepositions ('looking a best gift'). However, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. This balance of structures and error frequency is characteristic of Band 6.

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

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