Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

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 5.0)

Dear sir or madam,

I am writing this letter you regarding book which I read recently . Wing Of Fire book was written by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam .It is biography of this person and motivated book.

Firstly, this book inspire me more for doing hard work and face any circumstance with our confidence because Dr. provided many moral value which use on daily basis such as, give respect either older or kids .Apart from it, how he make famous scientist with full of dedication .Although he born in poor family but after struggle he achieve his goal .

I would like to be contribute information in magazines so others ones can get knowledge when they would be chance or reading this newspaper

I look forward hearing you soon.

Yours Faithfully,

Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points, but the development is insufficient. While you mention the book's content and its influence, the explanations are brief and lack depth. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the task completion. To improve, you should expand on your personal experiences with the book and provide more specific examples of how it influenced your mindset or actions. The final bullet point regarding whether it would influence others is mentioned but not fully explored or justified.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter has a basic structure with an introduction, body, and closing. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'Firstly' and 'Apart from it'. Paragraphing is present but could be more effectively used to separate the distinct points required by the prompt. Improving the flow between sentences using a wider variety of linking words would help the reader follow your argument more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision expected at higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'motivated book' instead of 'inspirational book' and 'how he make famous scientist' instead of 'how he became a renowned scientist'. To reach a higher score, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of vocabulary related to literature and personal development, while ensuring that your word forms are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with articles ('a book', 'the biography'), verb tenses ('he born' instead of 'he was born'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple, and attempts at more complex structures often result in errors that can impede clarity. For example, 'I would like to be contribute information in magazines' is grammatically incorrect. Focusing on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles will significantly improve the accuracy and readability of your writing.

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

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