Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-19

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 4.5)

Dear Madam, I am writting this letter just to let you know that this book is all about how people treat you when you are being kind to them and they use that act to take you for granted,more of the reasons this book influenced me is when you know how to keep yourself and be self esteem no matter what situation you might find yourself and be self determined no matter what people says behind you,As a person you have to fight for yourself and don't let people take you for granted,and am pretty sure that this book would influence orher people and enlighten them more about how people sees life

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address the three requested points in a basic way: you describe the book as being about kindness being taken for granted, explain that it encouraged self-esteem and determination, and say it could influence other readers. However, the response gives very little detail about the book itself or a specific way it changed your actions, so the ideas remain limited and under-developed. The prediction that it would “enlighten” others is also general rather than supported. The letter is 112 words, below the required 150, which further limits how fully you can develop the points. Add a clear example from the book and explain its effect on you, then give a reason why other readers might respond similarly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The main ideas appear in a broadly sensible order: you introduce the book’s subject, describe its influence, and comment on its effect on others. However, these points are compressed into one long sentence, so the reader has to work to identify where one part ends and the next begins. The transitions “more of the reasons” and “As a person” do not clearly signal the relationships between ideas, and there is no closing sentence to complete the letter. Use separate paragraphs for the book’s content, its influence, and its likely effect on others. Shorter sentences and clearer links such as “As a result” would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary to communicate the topic, including “self-esteem,” “self-determined,” and “take you for granted.” These phrases help convey the book’s message, and the reader can generally understand your intended meaning. However, the range is limited, with repeated general wording such as “people” and “influence,” and some choices are inaccurate or unclear, including “how people sees life” and “enlighten them more.” There are also spelling errors such as “writting” and “orher.” Aim for more precise expressions to describe the book’s message and its effect, and check spelling carefully. For example, you could say the book “encouraged me to set boundaries” rather than relying on broad statements about being self-determined.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect several ideas using clauses, but it is largely one run-on sentence, and the range of sentence structures is very limited. Errors in verb forms and agreement include “people says” and “how people sees”; these should use plural agreement. The phrase “when you know how to keep yourself” is also grammatically unclear, and the sentence beginning “more of the reasons” is not formed as a clear, complete clause. Punctuation is insufficient: commas join ideas that need full stops or clearer sentence boundaries. Practise writing several complete sentences, using accurate subject–verb agreement and clear clause structures, then check punctuation so each idea is easy to follow.

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