Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A magazine wants to include contributions from its readers for an article called 'The book that influenced me most'.

Write a letter to the editor of the magazine about the book that influenced you most. In your letter

- describe what this book was about
- explain how this book influenced you
- say whether this book would be likely to influence other people

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Dear Shrijrrt Shandilya Sir,

I hope you are well. I recently read your book, which is Can We Be Strangers Again. However, it has had a big influence on my life. Most of it relates to my life. The boy is literally as innocent as I am. When I read this book, I relate deeply to everything that happens to that boy.

In the end, I learned everything that you mentioned in this book. I personally appreciate you writing this book, and I recommend it to other teenagers to read this book and understand everything that the writer wants to figure out to us.

In the end, take my respect and hope to spend a good day.

Yours sincerely

fahima

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the book, say that it affected you personally, and recommend it to teenagers, so the response is relevant to the prompt. However, the book’s subject is not clearly described: “Most of it relates to my life” and “everything that happens to that boy” give little information about its story or themes. The influence is also stated generally (“I learned everything”) rather than illustrated with a specific change in your thinking or behaviour. Your view that it could influence others is present, but the reason is vague. The response is 30 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop all three points. Add a brief plot summary and concrete examples of the book’s effect on you and other readers.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable opening, body, and closing, and the ideas follow a basic order: you introduce the book, describe your reaction, and recommend it. This gives the reader some overall organisation. However, progression is limited because the points are compressed into a few short statements, and “In the end” is used twice, although it does not clearly mark a conclusion in the first instance. Connections between the book’s content, your personal experience, and your recommendation could be made more explicit. Use separate paragraphs for the book’s subject, its influence, and its likely effect on others, with linking phrases that show how each idea follows from the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough basic vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “influence,” “innocent,” “appreciate,” and “recommend.” However, the range is limited, and several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “understand everything that the writer wants to figure out to us.” Repetition of “book,” “everything,” and “in the end” also makes the language less effective. These choices sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow, particularly when explaining the book’s message. Aim for more precise expressions for themes and personal impact, such as “the story explores…” or “it encouraged me to…”. Check collocations so that your recommendation and description sound natural in a formal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable simple sentences, and the basic message is generally recoverable. There is also an attempt to use a subordinate clause in “When I read this book, I relate deeply to everything that happens to that boy.” However, the range remains limited, and some sentence constructions are faulty or unclear. For example, “I recommend it to other teenagers to read this book” has an awkward structure; use “I recommend that other teenagers read it.” The tense in “When I read… I relate” also shifts unexpectedly when describing a past reading experience; “I related” would be more consistent. The closing punctuation and capitalisation could be more controlled. Practise combining ideas accurately while keeping verb tenses consistent.

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