Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-03

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Adam Gilbert and I am an avid reader of your magazine. I am writing this letter to make my contribution to the article 'The book that influenced me most'.

The book that I want to share here is called 'The monk who sold his Ferrari' by author Robin Sharma. The book is about a millionaire who is unhappy with his life and then he goes to a place in the mountains searching for peace and harmony in his life. The book explains that money cannot make you happy. The real happiness comes from within by following some simple practices.

The book influenced me a lot when I read it and has been a continuous inspiration ever since. It gave some very practical examples of how people get frustrated by basic things like traffic. Not only it gives the examples of such frustrations, it also explains how to counter them and how to maintain peace when such situation arises.

I think this book has the potential to inspire other people if they read it, just like it has inspired me. I highly recommend this book.

I will be really grateful, if you could include this book in your article.

Yours faithfully,

Adam Gilbert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly described the book's premise, explained its personal impact, and provided a logical justification for why it might influence others. The tone is appropriate for a magazine contribution, and the letter format is followed correctly. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the specific 'simple practices' mentioned or provide a more detailed anecdote about how the book changed your perspective, as the current explanation of the influence is somewhat general.

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 single aspect of the prompt, which makes the text easy to follow. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Not only... but also' and 'just like it has'. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly. Currently, the transitions between sentences are a bit mechanical, which keeps the score at a 6.5 or 7.0 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'avid reader', 'continuous inspiration', and 'peace and harmony' are used correctly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. For instance, you use the word 'book' repeatedly. Using synonyms or referencing the work as 'the publication', 'the narrative', or 'the author's masterpiece' would improve the lexical variety. There are no significant errors in word choice, but the range is limited to common, everyday language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound, there are a few minor errors. For example, 'Not only it gives the examples' should be 'Not only does it give examples' (inversion after negative adverbials). Additionally, 'when such situation arises' should be 'when such situations arise' for plural agreement. Despite these slips, your meaning is always clear, and the errors do not impede communication. To improve, try incorporating more varied complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice.

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

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