Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-14

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)

Sir, my name is garima and I am a residence of exz colony, which is in Delhi ,i am a student and as well as a book reader , I am really interested in gaining knowledge from articles ,books , news , individuals, influencer and many more

Recently I read a article named as ' The book that influenced me the most so from very beginning I felt this article very intresting because it covers almost all the type of knowledge that is important for the updation ,as I am a young youth person so it's really imp for me and others to stay updated so same as that it covers almost all the topics like political ,economical,technological and many others more over it also tell us what true models should be best for the individuals so I really want to advise all the youth to read out that article , it was one the best article till date .

I guess all the other individual would also like it and also who understand it well will be influenced by this article which would be the best thing .

Thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to address the core requirement of the task, which is to write about a 'book'. Instead, you have written about an 'article'. This is a significant misunderstanding of the prompt. While you attempt to cover the bullet points—describing the content, explaining the influence, and discussing its impact on others—the fundamental shift from a book to an article means the task is not fully addressed. To improve, ensure you carefully read the prompt and select a specific book to discuss, providing concrete details about its plot or themes rather than general statements about reading habits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a clear structure. It is written as one long, run-on paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. There is a lack of appropriate paragraphing, which is essential for a formal letter. Cohesive devices are used in a very basic or repetitive way, such as the frequent use of 'and' to connect clauses. To improve, you should organize your response into distinct paragraphs: one for the introduction, one for each bullet point, and a concluding sentence. Use a wider range of linking words like 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition' to connect your ideas more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on simple terms like 'knowledge', 'important', and 'best'. There are also issues with word choice, such as 'updation' (which is not standard English) and 'young youth person' (which is redundant). The phrasing is often informal and lacks the precision required for a formal letter to an editor. To improve, try to use more specific vocabulary related to literature and personal development, and avoid informal or non-standard expressions. Focus on using words that accurately describe the impact a book has on your perspective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure. Many sentences are run-on sentences connected by commas rather than full stops or appropriate conjunctions (e.g., 'Sir, my name is garima and I am a residence...'). There are also errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage. The range of structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction: ensure every sentence ends with a period and starts with a capital letter. Practice using complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions like 'although', 'because', or 'which'.

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