Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-29

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 7.0)

Dear Brar,

I hope you are doing well . I remember you metioned wanting to buy a bicyle , so I thought I'd let you know that I'm planning to sell mine.

Since starting a new job farther from home, i have been driving to work everyday. Between work and my studies I hardly get some chance to cycle anymore. it seems shame to leave my bike sitting in the gargae.

It is a blue mountain bike. I bought it two years ago. It has lightweighted frame and comfortable seat. Apart from few small scratches , it is excellent in condition. I also had the breaks checked and tyre replaced last month.

I think it would be perfect for you for your short journey to college.You could save money on bus fares and enjoy cycling in the park on weekends. I am asking $150 , and I'll include my helmet and bike lock.

Come over this saturday if you would like to take it for a ride before dealing.

Take care,

Sukhpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter fulfils all three requirements clearly and appropriately for a friend. You explain that a farther-away job means you now drive, and that work and study leave little time to cycle; you also describe the blue mountain bike, its age, condition and recent maintenance. The reasons your friend might want it are specific and relevant: commuting to college, saving on bus fares and weekend rides. The price and offer to include a helmet and lock make the proposal practical. These details develop the purpose well. To make the explanation even more complete, you could add a little more about the bike’s suitability for your friend—for example, its size or how it handles—though the task is already covered effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The information follows a clear, useful sequence: you introduce the sale, explain why you no longer cycle, describe the bicycle, and then make the offer. Paragraphing supports this progression, and links such as “Since starting a new job” and “I think it would be perfect for you” make the relationships between ideas easy to follow. The closing invitation also gives the letter a natural next step. Some transitions and spacing could be polished: the shift from the bike’s condition to its recent repairs is understandable but could be linked more smoothly, and there are missing spaces after full stops in places such as “college.You”. Overall, the organisation is clear, with only minor lapses in presentation and flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for this informal sale, including “mountain bike”, “lightweight frame”, “scratches”, “bus fares” and “take it for a ride”. These choices communicate the bicycle’s features and the benefits to your friend. There are, however, some spelling, word-form and collocation errors that limit precision: “metioned”, “bicyle”, “lightweighted”, “gargae” and “breaks” (for “brakes”). Phrases such as “hardly get some chance” and “excellent in condition” are also not natural English. Aim to learn common word partnerships and check spelling, especially for key descriptive details. The intended meaning remains clear, but more accurate phrasing would make the letter sound more fluent and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes a mix of simple sentences and more developed structures, such as “Since starting a new job farther from home, I have been driving to work every day” and “Between work and my studies I hardly get some chance to cycle anymore.” The main message is consistently understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. Examples include the missing article in “It has lightweighted frame” and “Apart from few small scratches”, and the awkward construction “I hardly get some chance”. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “i” and “saturday”, while punctuation and spacing need attention around “well .” and “college.You”. Review articles, sentence punctuation and capital letters, and check that each sentence has a natural grammatical pattern. More consistent accuracy would strengthen the otherwise clear communication.

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

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