Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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 a letter to the editor of the magazine regarding the book that influenced me a lot. The name of the book is "The Secret." This book describes the law of attraction which means your thoughts and feelings emit energy frequencies that attract positive experiences into your life. This book influenced me because it teaches me that I am the creator of my own reality and it focuses my mind on positive goals that can manifest health, wealth, and happiness.

Moreover, I believe this book can also influence other people because this book will create a positive mindset instead of negative. This book also enhances your vision board as you can place your goals in a visible spot to keep your focus sharp. I recommend this book to other people who really like reading books.

You're faithfully,

Prabhjeet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the content is relevant, the explanation of how the book influenced you is somewhat brief and could have been expanded with a specific personal anecdote or example to better meet the requirements of a magazine contribution. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor, but the brevity prevents a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific part of the prompt. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'because' are used to link sentences, though the range of these devices is somewhat limited. The opening and closing are standard for a formal letter, though the sign-off 'You're faithfully' contains a grammatical error ('You're' instead of 'Yours'). Overall, the structure is functional and coherent, though it lacks the sophisticated flow expected at higher bands.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some topic-specific terms like 'law of attraction', 'energy frequencies', and 'manifest'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simple phrasing. For example, 'influenced me a lot' is quite basic. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'instead of negative' (should be 'instead of a negative one'). To reach a higher band, you should aim for more varied and precise vocabulary to express your thoughts with greater nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For instance, 'I am writing a letter... regarding the book that influenced me a lot' is grammatically correct but slightly repetitive. The phrase 'You're faithfully' is an incorrect usage of a contraction. There are also minor issues with article usage and sentence construction, such as 'this book will create a positive mindset instead of negative'. Despite these errors, the grammar does not significantly impede communication.

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

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