Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-14

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 Khushi,

Hopefully, you and your husband are doing great, by the grace of God. My apologies for not being in touch; I am making up for it with this letter, at least I hope.

Currently, I bought a new car for my travel purposes because I changed my work location. It is far away from my accommodations, so I am unable to use my bicycle for that. Therefore, I am planning to buy a bicycle if you can afford it.

The color of my bicycle is light orange, and it has two beautiful side mirrors. It is good for a short commute and also best for a morning ride to the park.

I think my bicycle is a good choice for your convenience because your work is closer to your house, and I know you are a fitness freak. Therefore, you could use a bicycle for a mountain ride during your cardio.

Hopefully, you would be interested in purchasing my bicycle. Let me know if you need more details regarding that.

Kind regards,

Kevin

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that a new car and a more distant workplace mean you no longer use the bicycle, describe its light-orange colour and side mirrors, and connect it to Khushi’s nearby workplace and interest in fitness. The purpose of offering it for sale is clear. However, some details are less fully developed: the bicycle’s condition, age, or other useful features are not given, and the reason your friend would like it is mainly asserted rather than supported. The sentence “I am planning to buy a bicycle if you can afford it” also makes the offer confusing, since you appear to mean that you are selling your existing bicycle. Clarify this point and develop the description and appeal with specific details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement, with separate paragraphs for the reason you no longer need the bicycle, its description, and why it may suit Khushi. The progression is easy to follow, and phrases such as “Therefore” and “Hopefully” help connect ideas. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some effective paragraphing. However, the repeated use of “Therefore” and “Hopefully” makes some linking feel mechanical, and “I am planning to buy a bicycle if you can afford it” interrupts the progression because it conflicts with the intended sale. Use more natural links and make references and intentions explicit—for example, state directly that you would like to sell her your current bicycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range to communicate the topic, including “short commute,” “morning ride,” “convenience,” and “fitness freak.” The colour and side mirrors also give the reader some concrete information. There are, however, several imprecise or unnatural choices that limit flexibility and precision. “Accommodations” is not the natural term for your home in this context, while “for your cardio” and “during your cardio” are awkward ways to describe exercise. “Beautiful side mirrors” is understandable but does not explain their practical value. Choose more natural collocations and vocabulary suited to a friendly sales letter, such as “home,” “for exercise,” and “useful rear-view mirrors.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the reason clause “because I changed my work location” and the conditional “if you can afford it.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors do not prevent the reader from following the main message. Some grammatical choices are inaccurate, though: “Currently, I bought” uses an unsuitable tense for a completed purchase, and “I am planning to buy a bicycle” conflicts with the intended meaning. The phrase “a bicycle for that” is also unclear in its sentence structure. Review tense choices and make sure pronouns and verb phrases express the intended action. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen the letter while retaining its clear, friendly tone.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.