Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11

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 Madam,

I hope you are doing well, today i am writing the letter to tell you about the book that influenced me most is Quran. Quran is holey book of Islam, but it is very inspiring book for today's generation. This book taught me about how to lived in life, how important our life because in present era people feel very lonely and depressed and they choose suicide. This book give the many people to answers lots of questions that's nobody cannot. This book give guidance, motivation,knowledge.

This book influenced me in many ways, One year ago, I am in big trouble and nobody with me not even my family member then, I started to read daily and i found peace, motivation, guidance about what should i do, in my mind i was thinking that the world is over and i just want finished my life. Today, I am so happy with my life and never try to do suicide.

Dear madam, I just want to request to please include this book in an article in you magazine, so many of people like me can get motivation and guidance and do not feel alone do not try to do suicide. Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. Your position is clear throughout the letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that the book provides 'guidance' and 'motivation', these points could be expanded with more specific examples of how the text achieves this. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution, and you have successfully followed the required opening. To improve, try to elaborate further on the specific content of the book to provide a more vivid picture for the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and sometimes repetitive. For example, you frequently start sentences with 'This book'. To improve your score, try using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In addition to this') to connect your ideas more fluidly. Additionally, some sentences are run-on or lack clear punctuation, which occasionally disrupts the flow of your writing. Improving your use of conjunctions and relative pronouns would significantly enhance the coherence of your response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it is somewhat limited and repetitive. You rely on simple adjectives like 'happy' and 'big', and there are some spelling errors, such as 'holey' instead of 'holy'. While you successfully communicate your personal experience, the range of vocabulary is not yet sufficient to demonstrate flexibility or precision. To reach a higher band, focus on using more varied synonyms and collocations. For instance, instead of saying 'I am in big trouble', you could use 'I was going through a challenging period'. Expanding your range of descriptive language will help you express your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, particularly regarding verb tenses and sentence structure. For example, 'today i am writing' should be 'today I am writing', and 'how to lived in life' should be 'how to live life'. You also have issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles (e.g., 'give the many people to answers'). While your meaning is generally clear, these errors are frequent and sometimes impede the flow of reading. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring consistent verb tenses, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and punctuation.

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

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