Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 or Madam,

I am writing to inform you that your books, which are known as the 7 Steps of Success, influence me the most. Therefore, today I would like to talk about positive feedback.

First of all, I appreciate you for giving me this opportunity. There are many books on the market about how to achieve success in life, but this book contains real-life concepts and explains how to apply them. Moreover, it also provides numerous examples of popular people and how they achieve their goals.

The most essential part of this book is that the author divides it into 7 parts and provides knowledge on how to begin any work, including the criteria individuals have to follow, such as daily routine, behaviour, and goals set in mind. Everyone should read this book once in a lifetime, because I am sure that not only do they get appropriate information, but it also promotes change in their life.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let me know if you need any further information.

Yours faithfully,

Almas

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the book and address its subject, its effect on you, and its potential effect on other readers. The description of its seven sections and advice about routines, behaviour, and goals gives the editor relevant information. However, the personal influence is not clearly explained: you say the book “promotes change in their life,” but do not describe a specific change in your own thinking or actions. The recommendation that “Everyone should read this book” is clear, though broad and not supported with much explanation. Also, “your books” makes it sound as if the editor wrote the book, which may confuse the purpose of the letter. Develop your personal experience and clarify the book’s title and author.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, a description of the book, a recommendation, and an appropriate closing. Paragraphing helps separate the main points, and transitions such as “First of all” and “Moreover” make the sequence easy to follow. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical: “Therefore, today I would like to talk about positive feedback” does not clearly connect to the book’s influence, and “First of all” introduces appreciation rather than the first main point. The final paragraph combines the book’s contents, its effect, and a general recommendation, so the key ideas are not always clearly distinguished. Use more purposeful links and organise the letter around the three requested points.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including phrases such as “real-life concepts,” “achieve their goals,” and “daily routine.” These help communicate the book’s practical focus, and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, some awkward or imprecise choices and collocations. “Your books” is unclear when referring to one title, while “positive feedback” does not accurately describe the subject of the letter. “I appreciate you for giving me this opportunity” and “goals set in mind” are also unnatural expressions. Aim for more precise, natural phrasing, especially when describing the book and your personal response. For example, you could refer to its practical advice and explain how it changed a particular habit or decision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You show a useful range of sentence forms, including complex structures such as “There are many books … but this book contains…” and “I am sure that not only do they get appropriate information, but it also promotes change…”. Several sentences are controlled and easy to understand, and punctuation is generally effective. Some errors remain in sentence construction and agreement. In the final complex sentence, “they” refers to “Everyone,” but the following “it” appears to refer to the book, making the relationship between the clauses unclear; the “not only … but also” structure is also not well balanced. The opening sentence’s “your books … influence me the most” is awkwardly constructed for a single book. Check pronoun references and parallel structures when combining ideas.

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