Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-22

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 Rabel,

I am writing this letter to inform you that recently, I came to know that you are in need of a bicycle, as I met George last night in his birthday party. Fortunately, I have a bicycle in a very good condition purchased last year for my evening classes. Furthermore, as i got reserved room in my university hostel and the center was next to my hostel so I do not need it anymore.

The bicycle is two wheeler, equipped with digital system of brakes having a small kit for necessary tools. Its not only in good condition but also having a career at the back to put up your stuff. Additionally, It has branded tires which I myself updated, once purchased for hiking purpose. Indeed you will love it.

Despite of all these qualities, I will be excited to sale it to you as I always want to help others, specially my friends. It will not only serve your purpose but you will also love to ride for excursion purpose.

My friend, I will be anxiously waiting for your response in purchasing my bicycle. To sum up, let me know otherwise I will get it advertise in my university.

Best regards,

Umaima Kamran

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain that the bicycle is no longer needed because your university room is near the centre, describe its brakes, tool kit and tyres, and give reasons your friend might enjoy it. The purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the details about evening classes and hiking help support your offer. To make the response more fully developed, explain more specifically why these features suit Rabel—for example, whether the bicycle would help with commuting or weekend rides. The closing also introduces advertising it at the university, which slightly weakens the personal offer; clarify whether you are giving your friend first refusal and when you need an answer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall sequence: you introduce the offer, explain why you no longer need the bicycle, describe it, and close by asking for a response. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Additionally,” and “Despite” show an effort to connect ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical or do not express the intended relationship: “Despite of all these qualities” does not fit the positive point that follows, and “To sum up” is unnecessary in a friendly letter. The final sentence about advertising the bicycle also shifts abruptly from the personal offer. Use simpler, more natural links and make the connection between each paragraph’s ideas clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of vocabulary to describe the bicycle and its possible uses, including “digital system of brakes,” “necessary tools,” “branded tires,” and “excursion.” This gives the reader useful detail, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are noticeably unnatural or inaccurate, such as “career at the back” for a bicycle rack, “sale it” for sell it, and “get it advertise” for advertise it. Phrases such as “in his birthday party” and “for excursion purpose” also sound awkward. Aim for familiar, precise expressions rather than translating directly: this will make the letter sound more fluent and natural while preserving your ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including clauses introduced by “as” and “so,” and the reader can follow the main message. However, errors occur across sentence structures and verb forms. For example, “as i got reserved room” needs a clearer, correctly formed clause, while “Its not only in good condition but also having” does not maintain a parallel grammatical structure. There are also problems with articles and prepositions, as in “in his birthday party,” and punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, including lowercase “i” and “It” after a comma. Practise building accurate sentences with one main idea at a time, then check verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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

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