Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-03

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to inform you regarding a book that influenced me most in my entire life, as requested by your magazine from its readers to contribute ideas for an article called, " The book that influenced me most".

Talking about books, the first and only favorite book that comes in mind is "The Pale Blue Dot" by Carl Sagan. The book was mainly says that we species of Earth are cosmic dust, and its cover page well proves this statement with an image of earth captured by Voyager space craft during its journey to the cosmic world.

I used to read a lot of books related to Astronomy from my childhood, and this is the one that has always influenced me from then. It gives a humble lesson to the entire humanity about how small we are in this universe and its urge to protect ourselves from being extinct.

This book would be a great pick for the article, because I believe that it is very likely to influence other people by teaching them, how to empathetic to their fellow beings, and remain sustainable by being available to each other.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards

Gokul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly identified the book, explained its influence on your perspective regarding humanity's place in the universe, and provided a logical reason why it would influence others. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanations are slightly more detailed; for instance, you could have elaborated further on the specific 'humble lesson' or provided a concrete example of how the book changed your daily behavior or outlook, rather than just stating it influenced you.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding sentence. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'because' and 'this is the one that', though the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition to this'). The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cosmic dust', 'humanity', and 'sustainable'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'The book was mainly says' (should be 'The book mainly says' or 'The book is mainly about') and 'being available to each other' (which is slightly vague in this context). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include 'the first and only favorite book that comes in mind' (should be 'to mind'), 'we species of Earth' (should be 'we, the species of Earth'), and 'how to empathetic' (should be 'how to be empathetic'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of sentence construction and article usage.

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

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