Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-23

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to share my favourite book that influenced me the most, for your magazine's article. It is based on the ancient history of India and is known as Mahabharata- A Mythology or History.

Although the book is not a best seller and probably, most people did not even heard about it, every Indian Hindu considers it as their heritage. The book goes through all the events of Mahabharata especially, Draupadi's Cheer Haran and Pandavas defeat in the game of Chauser clearly. What's more, Kurukshetra war was also thoroughly described in the book along with that it explains why a few individuals still considers Mahabharat a myth than Indian ancestors' history.

I got a majorly influenced by this book because my grandmother used to tell me folklores about Mahabharata era which deepened my interest in it; however, I never have any theoretical knowledge about it. That was the reason that when I read this book for the first time, it left a huge impact on me and I started looking at my History from a different angle.

This book is highly beneficial for those who have zero information about their culture but are willing and keen to learn more about it. Furthermore, it gives readers a different perspective to live their lives and also motivates them to always have faith in God even though everything in their lives go wrong.

I hope you will find my recommendation meaningful.

Yours Sincerely,

Komal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described the book's content, explained its personal influence, and provided a clear opinion on its potential impact on others. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution, and the letter format is maintained throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, providing enough detail to satisfy the reader's curiosity. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid minor inaccuracies in content description, such as the phrasing 'most people did not even heard about it,' which slightly distracts from the clarity of your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your train of thought. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Furthermore' and 'What's more.' However, the transition between ideas could be smoother in places. For example, the connection between the grandmother's stories and the book's impact could be more tightly linked using more sophisticated cohesive markers. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the clarity of the message.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'deepened my interest' and 'different perspective' are used correctly. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'I got a majorly influenced' (should be 'I was greatly influenced') and 'theoretical knowledge' (which is slightly awkward in this context). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Expanding your use of more precise adjectives and collocations would enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully attempt complex sentences, there are several grammatical errors present, such as 'most people did not even heard about it' (should be 'had not even heard') and 'everything in their lives go wrong' (should be 'goes wrong'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and tense consistency issues. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the letter. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that verb tenses are used consistently, especially when discussing past events versus general truths.

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