Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-20

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,

I am writing to contribute to your article, "The Book That Influenced Me Most," by sharing the impact to kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee had on me.

Set in the American South during the 1930s, the novel follows Scout Finch, whose father defends a Black man falsely accused of a crime. It explores themes of racial injustice, empathy, and integrity.

This book influenced me deeply by teaching me the importance of seeing the world from other people's perspectives. Atticus Finch's lessons inspired me to cultivate empathy, challenge my personal biases, and advocate for fairness in everyday life.

I believe this book would strongly influence other readers as well. It is message about standing up againts prejudice remains timeless, offering valuable guidance on compassion that continues to resonate across generations and cultures.

Your faithfully,

Afroza

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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 response is 13 words under the 150-word minimum requirement. This negatively impacts your score as the ideas, while relevant, are somewhat brief and lack the depth required to fully develop the response. To improve, you should expand on your personal reflections or provide more specific examples of how the book's themes manifest in real-world scenarios. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution, but the lack of length prevents a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use clear paragraph breaks, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited; the transitions between sentences are functional but could be more varied to improve the flow. For instance, using more sophisticated linking words or phrases would help connect your ideas more fluidly. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow, but it lacks the flexibility and variety expected at higher band levels.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your meaning clearly. Words such as 'cultivate,' 'integrity,' and 'resonate' are used correctly and add a more formal tone to your writing. There are a few minor errors, such as 'impact to kill a Mockingbird' (should be 'impact that To Kill a Mockingbird had') and 'It is message' (should be 'Its message'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do show a lack of precision. Expanding your vocabulary to include more nuanced collocations would help elevate your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. However, there are a few slips, such as the typo 'againts' (against) and the incorrect possessive 'It is' instead of 'Its'. Additionally, the opening sentence is slightly clunky. While these errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion, you need to ensure greater accuracy in basic punctuation and spelling to reach a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for small mechanical errors will 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.