Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12

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 6.0)

Dear sir/Madam,

I am keen interest to put my views on the new book that i read and it has the powerful impact on my life . Surprisingly, this was first time reading a different genre.The name of the Book is "Seven optimistic habits" written by Mark Thomas . the book is about how Seven positive common habits can change the way people think and change it and proceed towards success in there life .

Ever since I read the book my whole perspective as a vivid reader has changed about life ,the book also focuses on different phases of life and how to deal with the hurdle which come through the span.Interestingly, the book does not influence change in the external world but ask for little changes with in .

I highly recommend all the pupil to read this book and get a different yet positive perspective on life

Your faithfully,

Simranjeet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

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 somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention the book helps with 'hurdles', you do not provide a specific example of how it helped you personally, which would have made the response more engaging and fully developed. The tone is generally appropriate for a magazine contribution, though the conclusion is quite brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is expanded with more detail or personal reflection.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Ever since' and 'Interestingly', to link your thoughts. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the jump from the book's title to its content could be smoother. Additionally, the paragraphing is a bit inconsistent; the final recommendation is separated as a single sentence, which disrupts the overall structure. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring a more balanced paragraph structure would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'perspective', 'genre', and 'optimistic'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'keen interest to put my views' (should be 'keen to share my views') and 'vivid reader' (likely meant 'avid reader'). You also use 'pupil' to refer to general readers, which is slightly unnatural in this context. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they indicate a need for more precise vocabulary usage and better attention to collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('the book... ask for little changes'), article usage ('the first time'), and punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after commas and incorrect capitalization ('sir/Madam'). There are also minor errors in word form, such as 'there life' instead of 'their life'. While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency of the letter. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammar and punctuation will help improve your score.

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

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