Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26

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)

The book that i read was so fabulous. The story based on girl who struggled to fulfil her dreams.I am writing to share my experience hows these book inspired my life. In the story the girl left her home to achieve her goals. she struggled hard to pay her university fee. The book particularly engaging because of of ts inspiring story and meaningful message.

The story revolves around a young girl who leaves her home to pursue higher education. Despite facing numerous financial and personal difficulties, she remains determined to continue her studies. She even struggles to pay her university fees, but she never gives up on her dreams. The book highlights the importance of hard work, perseverance and having faith in oneself.

This book had a significant impact on me. After reading it, I became more determined to work hard to achieve my own goals. It taught me that difficulties are a part of life and that nothing is impossible if we remain patient and committed to our ambitions. The girl's determination particularly inspired me to remain hopeful during challenging times.

your sincerely,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. However, the final bullet point regarding whether the book would influence others is only briefly touched upon in the conclusion. To reach a higher band, ensure each requirement is given balanced development. The tone is generally appropriate for a magazine contribution, though the opening paragraph is slightly repetitive, as you introduce the book's premise twice. Expanding slightly more on why others might find it influential would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Despite' and 'After reading it', to link ideas. However, the transition between the first and second paragraphs is somewhat abrupt, as the second paragraph repeats information already stated in the first. Improving the flow between these sections would make the writing feel more cohesive. Additionally, ensure that referencing is precise; for instance, 'these book' should be 'this book' to maintain consistency.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Words like 'perseverance', 'ambitions', and 'determined' are used effectively. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'of of ts' and 'hows these book'. While these do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more varied collocations and ensure careful proofreading to eliminate small slips that detract from the professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Despite facing numerous financial and personal difficulties, she remains determined...'. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The story based on girl') and missing articles ('The story revolves around a young girl'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some missing spaces after periods. While your meaning is always clear, the frequency of these minor errors suggests that you should focus on basic grammatical accuracy and sentence construction to achieve a higher score.

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

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