Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-13

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 5.5)

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my affection towards the recent article written by Jay Shetty about the book named as 'The book that influenced me most'.

This book has completly changes my mindset about how to live a life with positive mindset and how the significance of 369 digit code of life changes the formula of living healthy and successful journey.

The main fundamental aspect of this book is to keeping the mind positive while sending the vibrant energy to the universe; which reflects back into the form of good karma and incentive.

However, this book will surely impact the other readers at certain extend as well. When I completed this book, It gave me phenomenal ideas in my brain. I was eagerly waiting for sending this email to show my love and respect for this edition.

Thank you for providing such a resourceful knowledge.

Yours faithfully,

Navneet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify a book and attempt to cover its subject, its effect on you, and its possible effect on other readers. The description of positive thinking and the “369 digit code” gives the reader some sense of its content, while “it gave me phenomenal ideas” indicates a personal response. However, the book’s influence on your own life is not explained with a specific change or example, and the prediction about other readers is brief and general. The opening also creates uncertainty: you refer to an article by Jay Shetty and call the book by the task’s title, rather than clearly naming the actual book. Develop each point with concrete details and make the book’s identity clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable opening, a sequence of paragraphs, and an appropriate closing, so its overall shape is clear. The ideas move from introducing the book to describing its message and then considering its effect on readers. However, the progression is not always smooth: the first sentence focuses on an article and the title, while the next moves abruptly to the book’s message. The semicolon before “which reflects back” also makes the relationship between ideas awkward, and “However” does not express a clear contrast with the preceding point. Use clearer paragraph purposes and linking phrases that show the intended relationship between ideas; for example, explain your personal change before moving to the likely effect on other readers.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You show an adequate range and make some attempts at expressive vocabulary, including “vibrant energy,” “good karma,” “phenomenal ideas,” and “resourceful knowledge.” These choices communicate enthusiasm, although some are imprecise or unnatural in this context. There are also word-choice and spelling slips, such as “affection towards” for a book and “completly,” which reduce accuracy. Phrases such as “the significance of 369 digit code of life changes the formula” are difficult to interpret because the wording is not idiomatic. Aim for precise, natural collocations rather than adding several abstract expressions; describing the book’s central message in straightforward terms would make your meaning clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a sentence explaining the book’s message and a clause about its effect on readers. However, some errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “This book has completly changes” should use a consistent present-perfect form, and “the main fundamental aspect … is to keeping” has an incorrect verb pattern. “The book named as” also uses an unnecessary construction, while the capitalised “It” after a comma is incorrect. These issues do not prevent the reader from following the general message, but they make several sentences less controlled. Practise accurate verb patterns and build complex sentences around one clear main clause.

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