Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-02

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 6.0)

Dear Rohan,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing this letter to tell you that I am selling my bicycle because I don't need this anymore. I am no longer using this because I got my leg hurt during an accident, so doctor recommend me not to use a bicycle.

It is used but still looks like new. It is a combination of black and red and has 6 gears as it is a racing bicycle.

Before showing to anyone else I want you to buy it because it is your favorite too. Due to financial crises, you was not able to buy, but now I want you to ride this. You can afford this because i am selling this on half price. I would like you to come and see to make a deal on it.

I hope you will happy to hear that. I will wait to hear back from you very soon.

Your friend

Adam.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task prompt. You clearly explain why you are no longer using the bicycle by mentioning your leg injury, describe it as a black and red racing bicycle with six gears, and explain why your friend would want it because it is his favorite and you are selling it at half price. Your purpose in writing is consistently clear throughout the letter. While all parts are addressed, some ideas, such as the reason for the accident or the description of the bike, are slightly concise and could be extended further to fully demonstrate the higher band descriptors. Nevertheless, you present a fully relevant and appropriate message to a friend.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a generally coherent overall arrangement with clear logical progression from explaining the situation, describing the bicycle, to making the offer. You use standard informal letter conventions for opening and closing, and paragraphs are used to separate different points. However, cohesion is at times a bit mechanical or basic, relying on simple connectors. Additionally, referencing can occasionally be improved, such as ensuring pronouns clearly link back to their intended antecedents to make the flow completely seamless and natural throughout the entire text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use an adequate vocabulary range to communicate your message effectively for this task, utilizing everyday terms like "bicycle," "racing bicycle," and "gears." There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as "financial crises," but this is accompanied by word choice and phrasing inaccuracies, such as writing "got my leg hurt" instead of hurt my leg, or "on half price" instead of at half price. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical choices and collocations show some limitations that prevent the response from achieving a higher rating.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as using subordinate clauses introduced by "because" and "so." However, there are several grammar errors present, such as "doctor recommend me" instead of recommended, and subject-verb agreement issues like "you was not able to buy." Punctuation and articles also have occasional lapses. These errors do not impede communication, as your meaning remains clear, but they prevent the writing from achieving a higher level of grammatical control and accuracy.

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

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