Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-18

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/Ma,

I am writing this letter in regards of your advertisement that request we your readers to let you know one of your books that have impacted the most.

In all honesty, I cannot forget the experience I had when I read 'The slave'. I was touched by the story that I landed in the hospital because I could not control my emotions. I was crying for days that it took the intervention of the doctor to stop.

Although physically the story affected me badly, but it has a significant impact on me. It taught me not to ever treat the less privileged badly because no one knows what the future holds for everyone.

I would like to recommend this book to be included in the articule because I firmly believe it would impact lives especially the rich.

Thanks. I hope you take my advice seriously.

Yours faithfully,

Yestery Willson.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter 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 somewhat limited. The description of the book 'The slave' is vague, focusing more on the reader's physical reaction than the actual content or themes of the book. While the influence is explained, the connection between the story and the lesson learned is not fully explored. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution, but the overall response lacks the depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition 'Although physically the story affected me badly, but it has a significant impact on me' is grammatically incorrect and uses redundant conjunctions. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved with a wider range of linking words to create a more natural, cohesive text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'in regards of' (should be 'in regard to') and 'articule' (spelling error). The student relies on basic vocabulary to express emotions and opinions. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to literature and personal impact, such as 'profoundly moved,' 'narrative,' or 'empathy,' rather than repeating simple phrases like 'touched by the story' or 'impacted the most.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'request we your readers' (should be 'request that we, your readers'), 'one of your books that have impacted' (should be 'has impacted'), and the misuse of 'although' with 'but' in the same sentence. Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels slightly unnatural. While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band.

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