Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-12

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 Ram,

I hope you're doing well. I am writing to sell my bycycle to you that you earlier suggested to me.

As you know, I just completed my studies and I got a job in Chandigarh as an electrical technician. I would like to buy a motorbike or a car for daily commuting to workplace. For that reason, I would like to sell my bicycle.

I bought this bicycle two years ago from an online website. It is black in colour and well maintained. It has front light which is operate by small battery.

I believe you would love this bike for several reasons. Firstly, I know you really need a bicycle for daily travelling to school. Additionally, the new bicycle would be expensive to buy and if you bought this one you can save a lot of money. Let me know what you think. I am available at home after 3 pm on weekdays or any time during weekends, if you would like to inspect or test drive of the bicycle.

I look forward to your response.

Lots of love,

Parminder

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter clearly addresses all three points: you explain that your new job in Chandigarh means you want a motorbike or car for commuting, describe the bicycle as black and well maintained with a battery-powered front light, and connect it to Ram’s need for travel to school and the chance to save money. The friendly opening and closing also suit the relationship. Your reasons are relevant and generally supported, so the reader understands the offer. To make the ideas more fully developed, add a little more detail about the bicycle’s condition or features, and explain more specifically why it would suit Ram—for example, its reliability or ease of use for his school journey. The purpose and tone remain clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear, logical sequence: you introduce the offer, explain why you are selling, describe the bicycle, and then give reasons Ram might want it. Separate paragraphs make each part easy to locate, while phrases such as “As you know,” “For that reason,” and “Firstly” help guide the reader. The closing invitation to inspect or test the bicycle is also a natural next step. Cohesion is generally effective, although the transition into the reasons for Ram could be smoother, and “Firstly” is not followed by a corresponding “Secondly.” You could link the points more flexibly and avoid signposting that suggests a list is incomplete. Overall, the progression is clear and the letter is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly sales letter, including “daily commuting,” “well maintained,” “front light,” and “inspect.” These choices communicate the main details, and the tone is appropriately informal. Some word choices and collocations are less natural or precise: “daily travelling to school” could be expressed more idiomatically, and “test drive” is usually associated with motor vehicles rather than bicycles. There is also a spelling error in “bycycle.” To strengthen your vocabulary, choose more precise phrases for the bicycle’s condition and suitability, and check spelling and collocations carefully. The meaning remains clear, but these inaccuracies limit the naturalness and flexibility of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the reason clause in “For that reason” and the conditional structure “if you bought this one you can save a lot of money.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and the letter includes a range of sentence openings. Some grammatical errors remain. In “It has front light which is operate by small battery,” the article is missing and the verb form should be corrected; “I would like to sell my bicycle to you that you earlier suggested to me” also has an awkward relative-clause structure. In the conditional sentence, keep the verb forms consistent. These are generally understandable, but improving article use, verb forms, and clause construction would make the writing more accurate and controlled.

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

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