Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-28

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to recommend a remarkable book that has had a great influence on my life. After reading your request for contributions for your article, a book called "The Power Of The Subconscious Mind" came to mind.

This book is all about how our mind works, and how the subconscious mind influences the conscious mind and our reactions over different situations. Its detailed explanations teach how to control overthinking and avoid negative thoughts. It demonstrates clearly that human mind can create fears and worries that are not based on reality.

This book has significantly changed my personality and outlook on life. Unlike in past, I now try to focus more on positive aspects of the life rather than constantly worrying about negative consequences. It has also helped me become confident and develop a positive attitude towards every challenge.

I would definitely recommend this book to the people, particularly to adults who are often stressed about career, family or children. It will help them to understand their though pattern and avoid dwelling on unrealistic worries. As a result, it may help them to reduce stress and increase their motivation to achieve personal and professional goals.

I hope this book is suitable for your article and your readers will benefits from it.

Yours sincerely,

Rahul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly describe the book's content, explain its personal impact, and provide a logical justification for why it would influence others. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed, and the response maintains a consistent focus throughout. To reach a higher band, you could provide a slightly more specific example of a situation where the book's teachings were applied, which would further strengthen the personal impact section.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is smooth. You use cohesive devices such as 'Unlike in past', 'As a result', and 'particularly to' to link your thoughts effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The flow is natural, and the reader can easily follow your argument. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, 'the life' in the third paragraph is slightly unnatural and could be improved by simply using 'life'.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'subconscious mind', 'outlook on life', and 'unrealistic worries' effectively. The language is generally natural and appropriate for the context. There are a few minor inaccuracies, such as 'teach how to control overthinking' (should be 'teaches how to control') and 'though pattern' (a typo for 'thought pattern'). While the vocabulary is sufficient and clear, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions would elevate the response to a higher band level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response shows a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. You demonstrate control over complex structures, such as 'It demonstrates clearly that human mind can create fears and worries that are not based on reality.' There are occasional minor errors, such as missing articles ('the life' instead of 'life') and the preposition error 'control overthinking' (should be 'control of overthinking'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication at all.

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