Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-03

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)

Dear friend,

I am writing this letter to you to inform that i have one bicycle which i not longer using because my office is way from my house .so i always use bike to go and came to house and it same my time. so my cycle is most of time just standing at home no one using without me and now join office. many times i repair it but due to standing it again loose tire pressure of tires ,but my bicycle is good conduction you know and tires i recently charge, built qualtiy is good, breaks ,gears also in good conduction no issues. every thing is working of my cycle .i see you many times you like my cycle so i like to sell to bicycle to you and your brother also like it . i discuss with my mom i am selling my cycles then they give my suggest that i can sell it to you and i am happy to sell it to my friend. so please infor to me that you are buying it or not so i can give it other one

thank you,

Harsimran singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that you now travel to work by bike, describe its tyres, build quality, brakes and gears, and say your friend and his brother like it. The reason for selling is relevant, and the offer to sell it directly to your friend is clear. However, some details are unclear or not fully developed. For example, “my office is way from my house” does not make clear whether the office is far away, and the explanation about the bicycle standing unused and losing tyre pressure is difficult to follow. Add a clearer account of why you no longer need it and a specific benefit for your friend, such as its condition or suitability for his needs. A more explicit, polite closing would also complete the purpose of the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows a broadly sensible order: it gives the reason for writing, explains the bicycle’s situation and condition, then makes the offer. This helps the reader identify the main purpose. However, the ideas are crowded into one long paragraph, with several points joined by repeated “so” and “and,” so the progression is not consistently clear. For instance, the shift from your commute to the bicycle’s tyre pressure and then to your friend’s interest happens without clear separation. Use short paragraphs for the reason, description and offer, and connect ideas with a wider range of accurate linking phrases. Clearer references would also help: “they give my suggest” leaves it uncertain who “they” refers to and what suggestion was made.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the basic message, including “bicycle,” “tires,” “brakes” and “gears,” and you attempt descriptive phrases such as “build quality is good.” However, word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning difficult to understand. Examples include “good conduction” for the bicycle’s condition, “charge” for replacing the tyres, and “loose tire pressure” where you likely mean that the tyres lose pressure. “Office is way from my house” is also unclear. Choose familiar expressions accurately before attempting less common wording, and check spelling and collocations. More precise language for the bicycle’s condition and your friend’s reasons for wanting it would make the letter clearer and more persuasive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses, as in “because my office is way from my house” and “so I can give it other one,” but most sentences rely on simple structures joined together, and some longer sentences are difficult to follow. There are errors in verb forms and sentence construction, such as “which i not longer using,” “I always use bike to go and came to house,” and “I discuss with my mom.” Articles, agreement and punctuation also need attention; for example, “sell it to bicycle to you” has an unclear structure, and several sentences run together after full stops. Practise forming complete sentences with consistent tense, and use capital letters and full stops to separate each idea. These changes would make your meaning easier to follow.

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

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