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 Editor Sir or Madam,

I, Harsh Patel, writing this letter to inform you about my personal experience regarding the book, which influenced me the most. I read an article in your magazine that you need a review or opinion from it's readers, that is why I am here.

I am keen in reading books in all types of genres, but the one which is close to my heart and influenced me the most is "Rich Dad Poor Dad". This book is a financial guide for everyone who needs to understand from basic to advance level.

This book has changed my entire perspective to think and see the financial world. It just does not gave me the idea where to spend my money but it also gave me the new perspective where should I, invest my money in wisely manner.

If you search online this book has a 4.9 star rating out of 5 star from it's readers. This only proves it's potential to influence anyone who read this book. On top of that this book has won multiple awards such as "Book of the year 2026" in financial category.

Thank you for you time and please let me know if you need some more information or inputs regarding this book.

Yours Faithfully,

Harsh Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how the book influenced the writer is quite brief and lacks specific examples of how the perspective shifted. While the task is fully addressed, the depth of the content could be improved to reach a higher band. The structure is clear, and the purpose of the letter is evident from the beginning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different ideas. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'On top of that' and 'If you search online', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the use of 'it's' instead of 'its' throughout the text. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the letter maintains a consistent focus throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'financial guide' and 'perspective'. However, there are several errors in word choice and form, such as 'keen in reading' (should be 'keen on'), 'wisely manner' (should be 'wise manner'), and the repeated misuse of the possessive 'it's' instead of 'its'. These errors do not impede communication but indicate a need for more precision in word formation and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. Examples include 'I, Harsh Patel, writing this letter' (missing 'am'), 'It just does not gave me' (incorrect verb tense after 'did'), and 'anyone who read this book' (should be 'reads'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score in this criterion.

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