Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21

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 Sir or madam,

I hope you are hale and hearty! I am writing this letter to give feedback about the book that will help you a lot for your upcoming article. I am glad to be a part of this which really acknowledge my views about it, this book navigate about your thinking ability about managing your relationship with your partner .

However, When i started to read , it was like how the author detailed about the small problem which we ignored and not to work on it . Afterwards,i realized that not working on this issue is our biggest mistake . finally i am with loved this book .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify a book about managing relationships and mention that it changed how you view small problems, so the response is relevant to the topic. However, the task is only partially addressed: the book’s subject is described vaguely, the influence on you is not explained with a specific example, and you do not say whether it would influence other readers. The letter also ends without a clear closing. The response contains 112 words, below the required 150, which limits the space available to develop the three requested points. To improve, name the book and author, explain a concrete change in your behaviour or thinking, and give a reason why other people might benefit from reading it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic sequence: you introduce your purpose, describe the book’s theme, and then explain what you realised while reading. Phrases such as “However” and “Afterwards” attempt to connect ideas, but the relationship between them is not always clear; “However” does not introduce a clear contrast, for example. The first paragraph combines several ideas in one long sentence, while the second moves abruptly from the author’s description to your conclusion. Organise the letter into short paragraphs, with one focused point in each, and use linking expressions only when their meaning fits. A clear progression from book details to personal influence and then its likely effect on others would make the message easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt some less common expressions, including “hale and hearty,” “upcoming article,” and “biggest mistake,” and the reader can generally understand that the book concerns relationships. However, the range is limited and several choices are unnatural or imprecise, such as “give feedback about the book” when you are recommending or describing it, and “navigate about your thinking ability.” “Finally i am with loved this book” also makes your intended meaning difficult to identify. Choose direct, natural phrases that express the book’s topic and its effect on you. For example, you could say it “offers advice on maintaining a healthy relationship” and that it “changed the way I communicate with my partner.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas in longer sentences, but control is uneven, and the complex sentence beginning “I am glad to be a part of this” is difficult to follow because its clauses are not joined correctly. There are also errors in verb forms and tense, as in “the author detailed” and “which we ignored and not to work on it,” as well as inconsistent capitalisation of “i” and “When.” The final sentence, “finally i am with loved this book,” is not grammatically complete. Practise building clear sentences with a subject and verb, and check tense consistency when describing your reading experience. Shorter, accurate sentences would help communicate your ideas while you develop more complex structures.

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