Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-27

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing a letter about you magazine, when i found the most influenced book. The title of the book is "You Can Do It" written by John. I just read a one volume of this book and it change my routine life.

This book explains you everything with the relevant examples which you think is hard for you after read this book you can easily do every hard task. Last Sunday, I got bored and feels lazy I just started to reading this book. Firstly i feel it is boring book but when i go through it my mind says it is amazing.

In this book a story of a person who was doing nothing in his life, then he met with other hardworking guy he taught him a meaning of life. Then he started follow that guy and he inspired, he share his real life in this book. It has three part i am trying to find the other ones.

Did you find any other person who was influenced from this book. Let me know so i can text to him/ her to discuss about the book.

Your Sincerely

Ram

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the book, explaining its influence, and discussing its potential impact on others. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of the book's plot is vague, and the explanation of how it influenced the writer lacks specific detail, relying on general statements like 'it change my routine life'. While the task is fulfilled, the ideas are not fully extended or supported with depth, which limits the response to a Band 5.5 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'Then he started follow that guy' and 'In this book a story of a person' show a lack of smooth transitions between sentences. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the logical progression of ideas is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing. While the overall message is understandable, the lack of sophisticated linking words and consistent paragraph structure prevents a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, often relying on simple descriptors like 'boring', 'amazing', and 'hard'. There are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'most influenced book' (should be 'most influential book') and 'I just read a one volume'. The student attempts to use some descriptive language, but the range is limited and does not allow for precise expression. The errors in word formation and usage occasionally cause the reader to pause, though they do not completely impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a high frequency of grammatical errors, particularly regarding verb tenses ('it change my routine life'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. There are frequent errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'about you magazine' and 'I just started to reading'. While the student attempts some complex sentences, they are often faulty, leading to a lack of clarity. The majority of sentences contain errors, which indicates that the writer has not yet mastered basic grammatical structures, keeping the score at a Band 5.0.

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

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