Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-07

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 Editor,

I am writing about the book that has influenced me most, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

The book is about a young shepherd named Santiago who dreams of finding a treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. He decides to follow his dream and begins a long journey. During his journey, he meets many people and learns important lessons about life, courage and never giving up.

This book influenced me by teaching me to believe in myself and follow my dreams. Earlier, I was often afraid of failure and gave up easily. After reading this book, I understood that difficulties are a part of life and that we should continue working towards our goals. It made me more confident and positive.

I think this book can also influence older people. Its message about following dreams, facing difficulties and making the most of life is suitable for people of all ages. Older readers may especially appreciate its message about never being too late to make a change in life.

I hope you will include my contribution in your magazine.

Yours faithfully,

Dharti patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly described the plot of 'The Alchemist', explained its personal impact on your mindset regarding failure and goal-setting, and provided a logical argument 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 relevant, providing a cohesive response that fully satisfies the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each bullet point, and a polite closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single theme, which aids readability. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'During his journey', 'Earlier', and 'After reading this book' to link ideas effectively. While the transitions are somewhat straightforward, they are used accurately and contribute to a smooth flow of information. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall structure is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for this task. Phrases like 'follow my dreams', 'working towards our goals', and 'making the most of life' are natural and accurate. While the vocabulary is generally functional rather than highly sophisticated, it is precise and conveys your meaning without error. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more nuanced adjectives or collocations to describe the emotional impact of the book, but the current range is sufficient to express your ideas clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is consistently accurate throughout the letter. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'After reading this book, I understood that difficulties are a part of life and that we should continue working towards our goals.' Punctuation is used correctly, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, showing good control over tense usage and sentence construction. This level of accuracy is very strong for this task type.

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