Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter as a reader against the request made by your magazine to share the name of the book influenced me most. i would like to talk about "Two mistakes of my life" written by Chetan Bhagat.

This book was a beautiful art produced by the writer and talks about the character who made two severe mistake in his life and the consequences faced for each of them. The story has drama, love story, thrill, and suspense which makes it a complete package.

To be honest, the main character of the story has shown too much of positive attitude towards the life. I remember the beautiful line mentioned on page 72, second paragraph states "I came to this world alone and go alone but in-between my contributions should make the difference in the life of others". This line made me realise that every contribution matters, even if it seems small.

Although, I come from a poor background but to achieve the dreams one should think positive. I hope people who needs motivation will definetly love to read the book.

Hope the writer will get acknowledged worldwide for the work done.

Regards,

XYZ

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. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the book's influence, you could have elaborated more on how the specific quote changed your personal perspective or actions in daily life. The response is clear and relevant, but providing more depth in the explanation of the book's influence would help move this into a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Although' and 'To be honest' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the transition between the description of the book and your personal reflection could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disconnected. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph flows naturally into the next would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'consequences', 'contribution', and 'acknowledged'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'reader against the request' (which should be 'in response to') and 'made two severe mistake' (should be 'mistakes'). While you successfully convey your meaning, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and lacks the precision or idiomatic flair that would characterize a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations and ensuring correct pluralization would strengthen this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the book influenced me most' (missing 'that'), 'the character who made two severe mistake' (should be 'mistakes'), and 'people who needs' (should be 'need'). Additionally, there are some punctuation and capitalization issues, such as the lowercase 'i' and the awkward phrasing in the opening sentence. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor slips would be beneficial.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.