Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-18

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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are having a good week. I am writing this letter to inform you about your book script idea which influenced me a lot, the book itself called 'The book that influenced me most' which instantly gives me energy without even reading it.

I extremely loved the character of the story who struggles everyday with their worklife and studies,he goes to school early in the morning after his school hours he goes to work to fufil their basis needs and taking care of his mother as she was really sick in the story. It is truly emotional story of a young boy and never giving up, keep doing hard work for himself and his mom survival.

This book inspired me for not only be a proactive and hardworker but also how to balance the workload and academic performance in the hectic schedule

I am so positive this book could be inspiration for many as the main theme is strongly connected to the basic manners of today's lifestyle, readers can do more productive things to be successful and good human.

Yours sinceraly,

Ria

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the prompt reasonably well, although there is a slight confusion regarding the title of the book, as the student writes 'the book itself called 'The book that influenced me most''. However, the writer successfully describes what the book is about, detailing the young boy struggling with work, studies, and his sick mother. The letter then explains how the book inspired the writer to be a hard worker and balance academic and professional schedules, and concludes by mentioning its potential to inspire others. The tone is appropriate for a magazine letter, meeting the requirements of the task adequately. Therefore, it satisfies the criteria for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter opens with an appropriate greeting and closes with a proper sign-off. Ideas are organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear progression from introducing the book and its plot to its personal impact and wider appeal. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'This book inspired me' and 'I am so positive', though referencing can occasionally be slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the response, ensuring that the reader can easily follow the narrative and arguments presented. This aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.5, showing clear organisation throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts at less common lexical items such as 'proactive', 'hectic schedule', and 'productive'. However, there are notable word choice and spelling errors, such as 'fufil' instead of fulfil, 'basis needs' instead of basic needs, and 'sinceraly' instead of sincerely. Furthermore, the phrasing 'book script idea' is somewhat unnatural. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching higher bands. The range is sufficient for the task and demonstrates a Band 6.0 level of control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some command of grammar. For example, the sentence 'This book inspired me for not only be a proactive and hardworker but also how to balance the workload...' attempts a correlative structure, but contains grammatical inaccuracies (e.g., 'for not only be' instead of 'to not only be'). Run-on sentences and punctuation issues are also present, such as comma splices linking independent clauses (e.g., 'studies,he goes to school...'). While errors in grammar occur frequently, they rarely impede overall comprehension, placing the response solidly at Band 5.5.

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

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