Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-04

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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to the editor of the magazine about the book that motivates me the most.

The name of the book is Heer. This book is about love, separation and family issues. In this book the writer taught us how we can love our partner one sided even after separation due to family issues and the girl in this book shows how she always loved her lover Ranjha without any demand and expectation from him. The main thing which influenced me is that the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh before punishment, asked the jailer to provide this book as a last wish because love always wins the world and we can achieve all things with love.

I think that this book also influenced others to be polite and always spread love in the world so everyone can live peacefully as well as without any hate or jealousy with others.

yours faithfully

Sukhveer Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The description of the book's plot is a bit repetitive, and the connection between the book's themes and the influence on the writer is slightly underdeveloped. While the response is relevant, it lacks the depth required for a higher band. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor, and the purpose is clear throughout the text.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body, and closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between the description of the book and the personal influence could be smoother. The paragraphing is sufficient, but the overall flow feels a bit disjointed due to the reliance on simple sentence structures and basic linking words. More variety in transition signals would improve the coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. The student uses basic terms like 'love', 'family issues', and 'book' repeatedly. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'expectation' and 'peacefully', but these are quite standard. The phrasing 'one sided' and 'without any demand' is functional but lacks the sophistication expected at higher bands. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise adjectives and collocations related to literature and personal impact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the writer taught us how we can love our partner one sided' (should be 'unrequitedly') and 'without any hate or jealousy with others' (should be 'towards others'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly regarding commas. The sentence structures are often repetitive, and the control over complex grammar is not consistent enough to reach a higher band.

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

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