Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-11

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 Jessica

I hope you are well.and preparing for the upcomi g exams. I am writing this letter to you to ask you if you would like to buy my red and green bicycle? I am selling my bicycle since i got a brand new one from my parents for my birthday.

My bicycle is red and green with brand new tyres which i only bought last weak. The bicyle is a top of the class mountain bicycle with six gears. I will also add a helmet for safety. I am selling my bicylcle to you for only R1000.

I thought you would like to buy the bicxle since you are living close to lots of off road trails which i know you ate dying to explore.

I am looking forward hearing from you to wheather you are intrested in buying my bicycle.

Kind regards

Karlien

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three required points: you explain that your parents gave you a new bicycle, describe the red-and-green mountain bike with six gears and new tyres, and connect the offer to Jessica’s interest in nearby off-road trails. The reason your friend might want it is relevant and personal. However, the description and the bicycle’s suitability are only briefly developed; for example, you could explain its condition or why its features would suit those trails. The letter is also four words below the required minimum, so it does not fully meet the task’s length instruction. Adding a little relevant detail would make the offer more convincing and complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear overall progression: greeting and purpose, bicycle details and price, the reason Jessica may be interested, and a closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and links such as “since” and “I thought” make the relationships between ideas clear. The sequence is logical and the message is easy to understand. To make the organisation more polished, use conventional letter punctuation after the greeting and closing, and connect the description and price more smoothly rather than presenting them as a short list of details. The final sentence could also lead more naturally into the sign-off.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the offer, including “mountain bicycle,” “six gears,” “helmet,” and “off-road trails.” These details make the letter specific, and the tone is appropriately friendly. However, the range is fairly limited, and several spelling errors—such as “bicyle,” “bicylcle,” “wheather,” and “intrested”—are noticeable. Some phrasing is also imprecise, particularly “top of the class,” which is not a natural way to describe a bicycle’s quality. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as describing the bike as “high-quality” or “well-maintained.” This would make the message more fluent and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes a mix of simple sentences and some more developed structures, such as “I am selling my bicycle since I got a brand new one” and the clause explaining that Jessica lives near trails. Most ideas remain understandable. However, some grammatical and punctuation errors are present: “I hope you are well.and preparing” has faulty punctuation, “I am looking forward hearing” needs “to hearing,” and “to wheather you are interested” does not form a correct construction. Capitalisation of “I” is also inconsistent. Review verb patterns after expressions such as “look forward to,” and proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation. More accurate control of these patterns would strengthen the letter.

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

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