Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14

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 Ms Bennet,

In this letter, I would like to mention a book ' The road not taken ' which had made a significant influence on my life and had contributed much of my recent achievements in my career and life in whole. I'm happy to share my journey how the book helped me take important decision in life with more clarity.

With the topic of description of the book 'The road not taken' by Daniel Smith. He shares life journey and regret that left behind in his early age to make the most out of the time living and experiencing different things. Firstly, the biggest regret he felt was to be not travel around the world in 30s experiencing different culture and tradition to see life from another lens.

After reading the book; I planned for the vacation last year and travel to the Europe where I encountered with local people in the villages spending time on the weekday evening like a holiday. People there hangout after 5pm meet at bars and resturant spend time with friends, family and relatives which has never been practised in American tradition. Also, they spend more money on experiences then buying merchandise which gives a temporary satisfaction in most.

I strongly believe, this book is must read for young people in their 20s to see life from an open mind perspective. I approve of myself to potray my name about the impact on life in your magazine.

Yours Faithfully,

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you identify the book and its subject, describe how it prompted you to travel, and recommend it to young people. The personal example of visiting Europe makes the influence clear and relevant. However, some parts are less fully explained than others. The book’s message is described mainly through the author’s regret about not travelling in his thirties, while the link between that regret and your own changed outlook could be made more explicit. The final claim that it is a “must read” for people in their twenties is clear, but the reasons it might influence other readers are only briefly stated. Develop that explanation and clarify the book’s central message.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to the book’s content, your personal experience, and a recommendation. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and phrases such as “After reading the book” signal a change in focus. Some connections, however, are awkward or mechanical: “With the topic of description of the book” does not clearly introduce the next paragraph, and the sequence of details about European social life could be linked more directly to the book’s influence. The opening also addresses “Ms Bennet,” although the task specifies “Dear Sir or Madam,” which weakens the fit with the requested letter format. Use clearer transitions and maintain consistent, appropriate letter conventions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss personal influence and travel, including “significant influence,” “regret,” “different culture and tradition,” and “temporary satisfaction.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and the reader can generally understand your meaning. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “contributed much of my recent achievements,” “take important decision,” and “encountered with local people.” There are also spelling and form issues, including “resturant,” “hangout,” and “potray.” Aim for more natural combinations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe the book as having “contributed to my achievements” and say you “met local people.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which had made a significant influence on my life” and a time clause beginning “After reading the book.” The overall meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “I planned for the vacation last year and travel to the Europe” shifts tense and uses an unnecessary article; “the biggest regret he felt was to be not travel” has an inaccurate infinitive structure. The fragment “With the topic of description of the book” also lacks a clear grammatical construction. Practise forming complete introductory sentences and keeping past-tense verbs consistent when recounting your trip.

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