Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-23

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 5.0)

hy ahmed

hope so u are doing well. i am writing to you so that i can tell u about my bicykce which 8 loved a lot. it was very hood bicycle . i reavelled nany miles in that. its tyres are very much road froendly and they gad a good grip. actually i have to move far some other city daily so i can't go on a bicycle now i have to use moter bike fir thay

i wanna tell you that i am planning to sake my bike . i am writing to tellbu about ots positive points thats its very easy to use .. its cibfotion is 8/10 . you can use it fir ur daily usage and its environment froendly

hope so u will find it in best comdition and will thaink about buying it

thankx

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main purpose and include all three requested points: you say you must travel to another city and now use a motorbike, describe the bicycle’s tyres and grip, and suggest it is suitable for your friend’s daily use and is environmentally friendly. However, these ideas are brief and some details are unclear; for example, “its cibfotion is 8/10” does not clearly describe a feature, and you do not explain specifically why your friend would personally want the bicycle. The letter also falls 10 words short of the required minimum, so it needs further development. Add clear details about the bicycle’s condition, age or features, and connect these to your friend’s needs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible order: it introduces the bicycle, explains why you no longer use it, then gives reasons your friend might buy it. Basic links such as “actually” and “so” help show relationships between ideas. However, the letter is presented as one continuous block, so the shifts between purpose, description and sales points are not clearly signposted. Some connections are also difficult to follow, particularly “i have to move far some other city daily so i can't go on a bicycle now i have to use moter bike fir thay.” Use separate paragraphs for the reason, description and recommendation, and connect sentences with clear, accurate transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a small range of relevant vocabulary, including “tyres,” “good grip,” “daily usage” and “environment friendly,” which helps communicate the bicycle’s practical qualities. However, spelling errors and informal shorthand are frequent and sometimes make the message difficult to understand, as in “bicykce,” “reavelled,” “froendly,” “u” and “wanna.” Some expressions are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “its cibfotion is 8/10” and “road friendly.” For a clearer, more appropriate letter, use standard spelling and complete words, and choose precise descriptions such as “comfortable,” “in good condition” or “suitable for commuting.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to link ideas in longer sentences, for example, explaining that you travel to another city and therefore need a motorbike. However, the response relies mainly on simple sentence patterns, and longer attempts are often difficult to follow because clauses are joined without clear punctuation. There are also frequent problems with sentence boundaries, capitalisation and sentence structure, such as “hope so u are doing well” and “i have to move far some other city daily so i can't go on a bicycle now.” These errors can make the reader work to understand the message. Practise writing complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and use full stops to separate related points.

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

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