Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-31

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 7.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to the call for contributions from readers of your magazine to talk about the book that has influenced us the most. One book I have read that had a significant impact on my life is titled "Think Big" by Dr Ben Carson. It is an autobiographical book of a renowned Neuro Surgeon that talked about the challenges he faced before he became successful in life.

The first time I read this book was during my secondary school days when I was finding it hard to choose a career path. I had to pick between studying science or commercial courses. Then I stumbled upon this book during one of my visits to my school's library, which turned out to be a life changing read for me. The real life experience of the author solidified my decision of becoming a medical doctor regardless of my economic and educational background at that time.

I believe this story is motivational and it has the potential of influencing people, especially individuals who are going through difficult moments in their lives. It would make them realise that irrespective of the difficulties they encounter in life, if they remain consistent, they stand a high chance of becoming successful.

I hope my choice of book makes the list and other book lovers find it beneficial.

Yours faithfully,

Mariam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three points clearly: you identify Think Big and summarise its subject, explain how Carson’s experience helped you choose medicine, and comment on its potential effect on readers facing difficulties. The personal detail about choosing between science and commercial courses makes the influence convincing, and the closing is appropriate for a magazine editor. The final claim that readers can succeed if they remain consistent is relevant, though it generalises the book’s message rather than showing more specifically what other readers might take from Carson’s story. To strengthen the response further, add one concrete example of a challenge described in the book and connect it to the lesson you drew from it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The information is organised in a clear sequence: the opening introduces the book, the next paragraph explains when and how it affected you, and the final paragraph considers its influence on others. This progression makes the letter easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Then” and “regardless of” help connect events and ideas. Paragraphing is appropriate, and the opening and sign-off establish the letter format. Some links are a little basic, however, and the final paragraph moves quickly from your personal experience to a broad claim about readers. A more explicit transition and a clearer connection between the book’s story and its likely effect on different readers would make the progression more seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary to discuss personal influence and motivation, including “significant impact,” “solidified my decision,” “real-life experience,” and “difficult moments.” These choices communicate your ideas effectively and show some flexibility beyond basic wording. A few expressions are less natural or precise: “a renowned Neuro Surgeon” would be better expressed as “a renowned neurosurgeon,” while “a life changing read” is more naturally written “a life-changing read.” “Commercial courses” may also be unclear in this context; “business-related subjects” would be more precise. Greater consistency in natural collocations and accurate word forms would make the vocabulary more polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The letter includes a useful mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “when I was finding it hard to choose a career path” and “which turned out to be a life changing read for me.” Most sentences are clear, and the past-tense account is generally controlled. A few grammatical and punctuation details remain: “an autobiographical book of a renowned Neuro Surgeon that talked” has an awkward relative-clause attachment, and “The real life experience of the author solidified” would be clearer as “The author’s real-life experiences solidified.” The sentence beginning “It would make them realise that…” is also long and could be divided or reshaped for greater control. Refining these points would improve accuracy while preserving the range of structures.

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