Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-25

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 7.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to contribute to your article " The book that influenced me most". The book that had a great impact on my life is XXXXXXXXX.

The book tells about the story of a youngster named Harry who enrolled in a high school in Tokyo, Japan. Basically, he hailed from a very small town of Germany. He moved there with their family. During his school journey, he faced numerous obstacles. Instead of running from these, he faced them, and cleared his high school.

This book is influenced me most, it tells that these obstacles are natural phenomenon. It is a part of life. We have to fight for it. Since then, I have become more confident.

I firmly believe this book influenced other persons as well. Its lessons are relevant to the people of all ages. This book influences readers to believe in themselves.

Thank you for considering my contribution. I hope it will be included in your magazine.

Yours faithfully,

Ashwani Handa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly describe the book's plot, explain its personal impact, and provide a rationale for why it might influence others. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, the explanation of how the book influenced you is limited to a few short sentences. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your ideas with more detail or specific examples. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Instead of,' 'Since then,' and 'I firmly believe,' which help the flow of ideas. However, the transitions between sentences are sometimes a bit mechanical. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'these obstacles') is always precise to maintain a smoother progression of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'hailed from,' 'numerous obstacles,' and 'natural phenomenon' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'fight for it' (which is slightly vague in this context) and 'influenced other persons' (where 'people' would be more natural). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise collocations and less common lexical items would help demonstrate a more sophisticated range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'This book is influenced me most' (should be 'This book influenced me most') and 'with their family' (should be 'with his family'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues, such as the spacing around the quotation marks. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage.

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