Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-06

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 Sir/ Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to shed some lights on that book which i red recently and influenced me most. The name of that book was "White blood" which was written by Nanak Singh.

I would love to explain this book was related with modern relations where nobody cares about theirs families and relations.

I was very influenced by this book because this book was showed the truth of relation and how the relation changed with situations and teach me don't trust on anybody either your family members as well as relatives.

Last but not least, I am very confident this book would be like everyone in modern era, because this book show the realty of this world and relations.

I hope you consider my request and as editor of the magazine think about this book for an article.

Sincerely,

Jashan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For example, your explanation of how the book influenced you is vague, stating only that it taught you not to trust anyone. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or personal anecdotes to illustrate these points. The letter follows the required format, but the content lacks the depth and detail necessary for a higher score. Ensure that each bullet point is expanded with supporting evidence or clear reasoning to fully satisfy the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very basic and sometimes repetitive. Phrases like 'I would love to explain' and 'Last but not least' are used in a somewhat mechanical way. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within and between sentences. While the overall progression of the letter is logical, the transitions between your points feel abrupt. Improving the flow by using a wider variety of transition signals and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive language, such as using 'book' and 'relation' multiple times. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'shed some lights' (should be 'shed some light') and 'this book was showed' (should be 'this book showed'). To improve, you should aim to use more varied vocabulary, such as synonyms for 'influenced' or 'modern', and pay closer attention to collocations. The current level of vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

Your writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, 'i red recently' contains a spelling error ('read') and a capitalization error. You also have issues with verb tense and voice, such as 'this book was showed the truth' instead of 'this book showed the truth'. There are also missing articles and preposition errors throughout the text. While your meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of basic sentence construction and verb forms.

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

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