Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-16

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 5.5)

Dear Paras.

I hope you are doing great. I am writing this letter for seeking a advice on selling of my bycycle.

I bought this bycycle in 2022 when I was in school. I used this cycle to ride to the schoo and for groccries and doing other daily outdoor work. But since I got my car, I am not using this anymore and it just sitting in my garage. It a one the famous cycle of that time and even now it costly to buy this one from the market. Although, i have not been using this one, but I always taken care of this bycycle, recently I just got new brakes and replaced the tyres. It been serviced frequently and working perfect if anyone want to buy it.

Before going to market i just want to check with if you do want to take my bycyle for your use. I know your a fitness freak and always prefer outdoor excercise rather than going for a gym. I feel that it will be great if you take this cycle as this will help to keep your body fit and also give chance to join new cycle clubs arround the society.

I hereby looking forward for your positive reply on my suggestion.

Best Regards,

Krishnkant.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that you stopped riding the bicycle after getting a car, describe its upkeep and recent repairs, and connect it to your friend’s interest in fitness and outdoor activities. These details make the offer relevant and personal. However, the description is not specific enough for your friend to judge the bicycle: “one of the famous cycle of that time” is unclear, and you do not mention its type, colour, or other identifying features. The reason your friend might want it is also somewhat general; explain more directly how the bicycle suits their routine or needs. The opening says you are seeking advice rather than clearly offering to sell it, which slightly weakens the purpose. A clearer offer and fuller details would make the letter more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: you introduce the reason for writing, give background and information about the bicycle, explain why it may suit Paras, and close politely. Paragraphing supports this progression, and links such as “But since” and “Although” help connect ideas. This meets the task coherently, with some signs of stronger organisation. However, a few connections are awkward or unclear, particularly “Before going to market i just want to check with if you do want to take my bycyle,” where the reader has to work out the intended meaning. The maintenance details also run together rather than being clearly separated. Use more precise transitions and make each paragraph’s main point explicit to improve the flow further.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “serviced frequently,” “replaced the tyres,” and “fitness freak.” These choices help convey the bicycle’s condition and your friend’s interests. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “bycycle,” “groccries,” “excercise,” and “arround,” and some phrases are unnatural or unclear, such as “selling of my bicycle” and “one of the famous cycle of that time.” The repeated use of “cycle” and “this one” also limits precision. Choose more natural collocations and specific descriptive words—for example, identify the bicycle’s type and condition rather than calling it famous. Careful proofreading would make your meaning easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including a contrast with “Although” and a reason introduced by “since.” The overall message remains understandable, but errors in sentence structure and verb forms occur in several places. For example, “it just sitting in my garage” needs a finite verb, while “I always taken care” and “It been serviced” are missing the appropriate auxiliary verbs. There are also problems with articles and agreement in “a advice” and “your a fitness freak,” as well as punctuation in the opening, “Dear Paras.” Aim to form complete clauses and check auxiliary verbs, articles, and sentence punctuation. More accurate control of these patterns would make the letter smoother.

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

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