Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-10

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,

I am writing this letter to you about that, I like this book which name is positive thinking and this book influence me a lot.

Firstly, This book is about that we just believe on positive things and neglect the negative though if we achieve something in our life. So, this book is more powerful for me. Moreover, this book influence me like I am very overthink person who more focus on negative things, but this book helps me that, If i think something just I do it instead of thinking about it in deep, so this book taught me that believing in Yourself and not think over. Finally, i say one think is that if someone just like me then they should need to read this book and stop overthinking. I glad That I read this book.

Your Faithfully,

Deep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited and repetitive. The explanation of how the book influenced the writer is somewhat vague, relying on simple statements like 'this book is more powerful for me'. Furthermore, the response is under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the overall task achievement. To improve, you should expand on your personal experiences and provide more detailed examples of how the book's concepts were applied to your life.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter follows a basic structure, but the flow of ideas is hindered by repetitive phrasing and limited use of cohesive devices. While you use transition words like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Finally', they feel somewhat mechanical. The paragraphing is also problematic; the entire body of the letter is contained within a single block, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of your argument. To improve, ensure you use clear paragraph breaks for each distinct point and try to vary your linking words to create a more natural flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive, which limits your ability to express complex thoughts. Phrases like 'I am very overthink person' and 'I glad That I read this book' contain grammatical errors and demonstrate a lack of precision. You rely on simple adjectives and verbs throughout the text. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary, including more precise adjectives and collocations related to reading and personal development, such as 'transformative', 'perspective', or 'overcome'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'this book which name is positive thinking', 'I am very overthink person', and 'they should need to read'. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the existing sentences are often fragmented or incorrectly punctuated. Subject-verb agreement and word order issues are prevalent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically the use of articles, verb tenses, and correct word forms (e.g., 'overthinker' instead of 'overthink person').

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