Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-09

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's everything going. I'm writing to you after so long and just want to check your interest in buying my bicycle.

Actually the reason for selling it all of a sudden is to buy a electric scooter. I recently moved to a new house which is far away from my work location. So, travelling on bycycle takes more time and effort.

Coming to the bicycle, I am using it from last one year and it still looks new. Moreover, it comes with a head light and a helmet. Even the brakes and gears were fixed in the last month itself.

I remember from our previous conversation, you did discuss with me about purchasing a used bike for occasional use. So, I thought it would be great if you can have mine.

Take your time and let me know your thoughts about it, I'll be waiting from your reply.

Yours lovingly,

Max

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain that the move has made your commute longer, describe the bicycle as nearly new and mention its light, helmet, brakes and gears, and connect the offer to John’s earlier interest in a used bike. The reason for selling is relevant, and the friendly tone suits a letter to a friend. The bicycle’s condition and features provide useful support, although the description could be more specific—for example, its type, colour or price—and the reason your friend would enjoy it could be developed beyond occasional use. Overall, the purpose is clear and the ideas are extended, with some room to make the supporting details more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear progression: you introduce the offer, explain why you are selling, describe the bicycle, and then explain why John might want it. Paragraphing helps separate these points, and phrases such as “Moreover” and “So” guide the reader through the message. The sequence is easy to follow, though a few transitions sound formulaic or slightly awkward, particularly “Coming to the bicycle.” The closing also combines two thoughts with a comma in “let me know your thoughts about it, I'll be waiting,” which makes the relationship between them less controlled. More natural transitions and clearer sentence boundaries would make the cohesion smoother while preserving the effective overall organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose and includes relevant terms such as “work location,” “occasional use,” “brakes” and “gears.” The reader can understand the offer and the bicycle’s condition. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or less natural, including “check your interest,” “buy a electric scooter,” and “fixed” for bicycle components. There is also a spelling error in “bycycle.” These slips do not prevent communication, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to use familiar collocations accurately, and check spelling and article use when editing; more precise language for the bicycle’s condition and features would also strengthen the description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the reason clause in “So, travelling on bycycle takes more time and effort” and the relative clause in “a new house which is far away from my work location.” Meaning remains clear despite some grammatical errors. Examples include the missing auxiliary in “How's everything going” as a question, the article in “a electric scooter,” and the tense pattern in “I am using it from last one year.” The final sentence also joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Review question punctuation, articles, present-perfect forms for situations continuing to the present, and sentence boundaries. Greater accuracy in these areas would make your varied sentence forms more controlled.

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

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