Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-27

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 this letter for adding a chapter or a book which influenced me a lot in my life.I always read books and while reading your magazines i got to know about one book which was really change my life and I was wondering to add this book to your magazines. The name of that book is Dhurandhar, it really inspired me a lot, this book based on the true events which one person choose to stay from their parents for 15 long years and how he survive and became most powerful man of the country without any help of others he used his mind, kept his mind calm and slowly he understood the importance of life. This story inspired me by having nothing in hand and still he didn't lose hope and never give up after having no contact with family. I think if you add this in your editor page would be much affect for others get motivate and somewhere they will try more and more untill they reach their goal. As a result, majority of the youngster need to know this book and to read this as well.

Faithfully yours,

Manav Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points: you identify the book as *Dhurandhar*, outline its story, explain that its message about perseverance affected you, and say it could motivate young people. The personal response—“he didn’t lose hope and never give up”—makes the influence clear. This is a relevant, purposeful contribution, but some details are unclear or under-developed: the description of the person’s circumstances and how he becomes powerful is difficult to follow, and your own specific change in behaviour or outlook is not explained. The prediction about influencing others is also quite general. To strengthen the letter, clarify the plot and give one concrete example of how the book changed your choices or attitude.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas follow a broadly sensible order: you introduce your purpose, describe the book, explain its effect, and recommend it to readers. Linking expressions such as “This story inspired me” and “As a result” help show the relationship between points. However, nearly the whole letter is presented as one long paragraph, and several ideas are joined together in lengthy sentences, making the progression harder to follow. Some references, such as “this” and “he,” are not always immediately clear. Use separate paragraphs for the book’s content, its influence, and its likely effect on readers. Shorter sentences and clearer links between ideas would make the organisation more controlled and less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary to communicate the book’s themes, including “true events,” “inspired,” “importance of life,” and “never give up.” These choices make the central message understandable. However, the range is limited and several word combinations or forms are inaccurate, such as “get motivate,” “much affect,” and “reach their goal.” Repetition of “book,” “inspired,” and “mind” also reduces flexibility. Aim for more precise expressions when describing the story and its impact, and check that verbs and adjectives fit their grammatical roles. For example, you could describe the book as “motivating” and say it “could have a strong impact on readers.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas using longer structures, for example when describing how the character survives and becomes powerful, and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, complex sentences are often difficult to control, and errors occur in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries. Examples include “which was really change my life,” “how he survive,” and “the majority of the youngster need.” The opening also runs several clauses together without clear punctuation. Practise building accurate sentences with one main idea at a time, then add subordinate clauses carefully. Review past-tense forms, subject–verb agreement, and punctuation, especially full stops between complete thoughts.

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