Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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,

I am writing to contribute an article to your magazine about the book that has had the greatest influence on my life. The book I would like to recoomend is Atomic Habits by James Clear.

The book focuses on the power of small, consistent improvements and explain how our daily habits shape our long-term sucess. It provides practical strategies for developing positive routines, overcoming unproductive behaviours and achieving meaningful goals.

The book has had a profound impact on my life because it encouraged me to become more disciplined and organised. For example, I began setting realistic daily goals, exercising regularly and dedicating time to improving my English. Rather than expecting immediate results, I learned to focus in gradual progress. As a result, I have become more motivated, productive and confident in pursuing my personal and professional ambitions.

I firmly believe that this book could influence many other readers, particularly those who struggle with procrastination or find it difficult to maintain good habits.

Thank you for considering my contribution. I look forward to seeing this inspiring book featured in your magazine.

Your faithfully,

Hani Prajapati

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The candidate addresses all parts of the prompt fully and appropriately. The letter begins with the requested greeting 'Dear Sir,' and immediately establishes the purpose of the contribution. The student clearly describes the book 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, explaining its focus on 'small, consistent improvements' and practical strategies. The second bullet point is effectively handled as the student details personal impacts, such as becoming 'more disciplined and organised' and setting realistic goals. Finally, the third requirement is successfully met by predicting that the book would help readers 'who struggle with procrastination'. Ideas are well-developed and appropriate for a General Training correspondence task, earning a solid band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the introduction to the description, the personal impact, the potential influence on others, and finally a polite sign-off. Cohesive devices are used naturally, as seen with phrases like 'For example,' and 'As a result,'. Paragraphing is logical and used appropriately to separate distinct themes. Referencing throughout the text is clear and easy to follow. While simple connectors are dominant, the overall flow meets the criteria for a band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The candidate demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, suitable for an article contribution. Words and phrases such as 'profound impact,' 'unproductive behaviours,' 'procrastination,' and 'ambitions' show a good grasp of less common lexical items. There is a minor spelling slip with 'recooomend' in the first paragraph, and 'focus in gradual progress' contains a minor preposition collocation error instead of 'focus on'. However, these errors do not impede communication. The lexical range easily satisfies the requirements for a band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses effectively (e.g., 'The book has had a profound impact on my life because it encouraged me...'). Control of grammar is generally strong, with frequent error-free sentences. Punctuation is accurate, and verbs and tenses are handled correctly throughout. There is a minor third-person present tense slip in the second paragraph ('explain how our daily habits shape' should be 'explains'), but this is an isolated issue. The overall grammatical range and accuracy comfortably achieve a band 7.0.

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