Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-25

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my views regarding a book that was you wrote last year. The book name is 'History of Hinduism'. This book was gifted me by uncle. This book puts positive impact on my life and in this book you briefly describe abou hindu culture with relevant pictures.

Moreover, in this book have every topic explain in detail and when I started to read this book then I found it was really quite interesting for me because I am also belongs to Hindu culture. It was actualy improves my reading skill as well as provide lot of knowledge to me.

Furthermore, I would like to appericiate to you for writing this book. I think this book is really helps to new generation for learning about our history and improve their knowledge

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the book, describe its subject as Hindu culture and history, and explain that it improved your reading skills and knowledge. You also address whether it could influence others, saying it could help the younger generation learn about history. However, this final point is brief and general, and the book’s content is only outlined rather than illustrated with a specific example. The opening also creates confusion by saying the editor wrote the book, although you later thank them for writing it. The response is 136 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum. Develop each point with a concrete detail and clarify who wrote or published the book.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable progression: you introduce the book, explain your personal response, and finish by considering its value to younger readers. Paragraph breaks and signposting such as “Moreover” and “Furthermore” help show these stages. However, the links can feel mechanical, and the second paragraph’s opening, “in this book have every topic explain in detail,” makes the relationship between ideas difficult to follow. The final paragraph also combines appreciation and a prediction about readers without developing the transition. Use clearer sentence links and organise the content into distinct paragraphs for the book’s subject, its effect on you, and its likely effect on others.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main topic and effects of the book, with relevant expressions such as “positive impact,” “reading skill,” and “learning about our history.” However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “book name,” “puts positive impact,” and “appreciate to you.” Spelling errors such as “abou,” “actualy,” and “appericiate” also reduce accuracy and can distract the reader. Aim for more natural phrases, for example, “the book is titled,” “had a positive impact,” and “I would like to thank you.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise expressions would make your meaning clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer clauses, for example, “when I started to read this book then I found it was really quite interesting,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and sentence structure occur in “This book was gifted me by uncle,” “in this book have every topic explain in detail,” and “I am also belongs to Hindu culture.” The sentence “It was actualy improves my reading skill” also mixes verb forms, while “this book is really helps” has an unnecessary auxiliary. These problems sometimes make the reader pause to interpret your meaning. Practise accurate subject–verb patterns and past-tense forms, and build longer sentences from correctly formed clauses.

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