Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You enjoy walking in the countryside near your home. However, you are noticing that there is more and more litter left there by other walkers.

Write a letter to your local newspaper. In your letter

• say why you enjoy walking and where

• describe the litter you have seen on your walks

• suggest what might be done about the problem

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear publiser,

I am writing this letter to draw your attention towards the consistent garbage accumulation on the trail near the Coral beach.

I love spending my time in nature. Everyday I go for a walk with my dog on the trail which is situated 2 km north to the Coral beach in Tobermory. I really enjoy being outdoor as it makes feel relaxed and close to the nature. Besides this, it keeps me active and physically fit.

Recently, I have started noticing waste get collected on the either sides of the trail. People are throwing coffee cups, pastic bags and polythenes, and leftover food while they are on walk. As a result, it is polluting the air causing bad odour as well as soil impacting its fertility. Pet owners are concerned as the pets sometimes eat this plastic in order to grab the food inside it.

I really want you publish this in the local newspaper as it will make the localites aware about the environmental damage being caused due to the wastage. In addition to this, it will also push the municipality to take some action related to this.

Yours faithfully

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the three requested points: you explain that walking with your dog helps you feel relaxed and fit, identify the trail near Coral Beach, and describe cups, bags and leftover food. You also explain possible effects on the air, soil and pets. However, the response does not fully achieve the letter’s purpose: the main suggestion is to publish the complaint, with only a general hope that the municipality will act. Give specific measures, such as installing bins, adding signs, arranging regular clean-ups or enforcing fines. The opening also addresses the editor as “Dear publiser” rather than using the requested salutation, and the closing could be more appropriate for a letter to a newspaper. Developing the practical response would make the task coverage more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: the opening states the concern, the next paragraph gives the reason for walking, and the following paragraph describes the litter and its effects. Linking phrases such as “Besides this,” “As a result,” and “In addition to this” help show relationships between ideas, and paragraphing supports readability. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some features of stronger progression. However, the final paragraph focuses on asking the newspaper to publish the issue rather than setting out practical solutions, so the progression towards resolving the problem is incomplete. Some links also feel mechanical, and “this” in “it will also push” has a broad reference. Use more precise transitions and connect each proposed action directly to the problem.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including “garbage accumulation,” “physically fit,” “leftover food,” “fertility,” and “environmental damage.” These choices communicate the issue and its consequences, and you attempt some less common vocabulary. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce accuracy: “publiser,” “pastic,” and “localites” are misspelled, while “wastage” is not the most natural term for litter. Some collocations are also awkward, such as “draw your attention towards” and “on walk.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit the precision and naturalness expected at a stronger level. Check spelling carefully and learn common combinations such as “draw attention to,” “go for a walk,” and “littering.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “as it makes feel relaxed” and a result clause beginning “As a result.” Most ideas remain understandable, and the sentence about pets eating plastic adds useful detail. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “it makes feel relaxed,” the object “me” is missing; “on the either sides” has an incorrect determiner and plural pattern; and “People are throwing … while they are on walk” needs more accurate article use. There are also issues with prepositions and sentence construction in “2 km north to the Coral beach.” Review articles, prepositions and verb patterns, then proofread each sentence for a complete subject–verb structure.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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