Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-05

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 Editor,

Hope you are well. I am writing to contribute to your article " The book that influence me most" regarding the self helf guide Do it now by Dr. Parkeh. Could you please include my thoughts in your upcomin edition.

The main focus of this publication is overcoming procrastination. for example, it explains why people delay starting new things or simple rouute task, and it offers practical steps to take immediate action. This has encouraged me to stop overthinking and start working on my goals. right away. Furthermore, it gave me a clear plan to manage my time in a better way.

As a result, i have become more productive and confident in completing my work on time. If I had not applied the advice from this work, I woukld still be wasting hours ignoring important task.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: describing the book, explaining its influence, and mentioning its potential impact on others. However, the final bullet point regarding whether it would influence others is entirely missing from the text. Furthermore, the response is under the 150-word minimum requirement, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. The content is relevant but lacks the depth and extension required for a higher band score. To improve, ensure all parts of the prompt are covered and expand on your points to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore' and 'As a result' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly disjointed, and the transition between the description of the book and its influence could be smoother. The overall progression is clear, but the limited length prevents a more sophisticated flow of ideas. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your sentences more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'simple routine task' and 'manage my time in a better way' are functional but lack precision. There are also some minor spelling errors, such as 'self helf' instead of 'self-help' and 'upcomin' instead of 'upcoming'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise and varied vocabulary, such as using 'overcome procrastination' or 'implementing strategies' rather than simpler alternatives. Focus on accuracy in spelling and word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including punctuation issues (e.g., 'The book that influence me most' should be 'influenced'), capitalization errors ('i' instead of 'I'), and typos like 'woukld'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on proofreading your work for basic subject-verb agreement and punctuation. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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