Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-05

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,

I hope you are fine. I am writing to let you know that I really wish to contribute to your magazine for the article called "The book that influenced me most."

Let me tell you about the book that I read, and it left a lasting impact on me. The name of the book was "The Forty Rules of Love", written by Elif Shafak. The story revolves around the spiritual journey of Rumi, which was profoundly influenced by his mentor, the Shams of Tabriz. It beautifully explains its readers how love transcends all boundaries.

This book has influenced me in so many ways, but the greatest impact it left on me was that it changed my perspective on how I viewed things. It gives a wonderful message that we should not try to judge others for the choices they make in their lives, as we do not know about their circumstances.

This book will definitely influence people in many positive ways. Each of the forty rules mentioned in the book has a meaning and a lesson associated with it. I think it should be a part of your article so that readers can get to know about this inspiring story. I am hoping for a positive response from you.

Yours faithfully,

Dr.Sara

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt, covering the description of the book, how it influenced the writer, and why it is likely to influence others. The purpose of writing to the editor is clear throughout the letter, and a consistent tone is maintained. The ideas are extended and supported well, such as explaining how the novel changed the writer's perspective on judging others. While a few parts could be elaborated further, the overall coverage satisfies the requirements well, demonstrating a clear position and purpose. Eight words copied from the prompt were not counted towards the minimum limit, but the response comfortably exceeds the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introductory purpose to the book description, personal impact, and finally the potential effect on other readers. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as 'The story revolves around' and 'Each of the forty rules mentioned'. Paragraphing is handled well, and referencing is mostly clear. However, to reach a higher level, the integration of cohesive devices could be even more flexible and sophisticated, avoiding occasional repetitive transitional patterns between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The vocabulary used is generally sufficient for the task and shows some flexibility and precision. The student successfully incorporates less common phrases such as 'lasting impact', 'transcends all boundaries', and 'perspective'. Word choice is mostly appropriate, and spelling is accurate throughout. There are occasional slight inaccuracies in collocation or word choice, such as 'the Shams of Tabriz' (where 'the' is unnecessary before a proper name), but these do not impede communication. A slightly wider range of more sophisticated vocabulary would push this criterion further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over overall punctuation and sentence boundary demarcation. Structures such as relative clauses ('the book that I read') and subordinate clauses ('as we do not know about their circumstances') are handled fairly well. There are some minor grammatical errors, such as the redundant preposition in 'explains its readers how' (instead of 'explains to its readers') and the unnecessary article in 'the Shams of Tabriz'. These errors persist but rarely impede communication, reflecting a solid foundation with room for greater complexity and error-free sentences.

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