Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-06

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

The letter is regarding garbage and litter near my house.

I really like to walk near my house with my friends and also there is a park near by so love to enjoy there and play together it is lovely and calm place to do activites, however i notice whenever i go for a walk i notice there is so much litter and garbage nearby on the foothpath and on the road and it is nothing but just a batel leaf spits, daily garbage and leftover foods, its really smell so bad and also it is disgusting to walk around with all that litters and all the litters is spread by other walkers who walk near my house and park.

I kindly request to talk an immediate action regarding this situation and i would reccomend to add garbage bin near my house and on every foothpath so people can through there litter in that bin and garbage pickup truck everymorning so the place should stay clean

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that you walk with friends near your home and enjoy the nearby park, describe litter on the footpath and road, and recommend bins and regular collection. These are relevant details, and the unpleasant smell helps show why the problem matters. However, the enjoyment of walking is less fully explained than the litter problem, and the proposed response could be developed further—for example, by suggesting who should arrange the bins or how walkers could be encouraged to use them. The letter also needs a more suitable closing and a clearer, more formal request to the newspaper. Overall, the task is covered, but some ideas remain brief or unclear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible order: it introduces the issue, describes the walks and litter, then makes a request. This gives the reader an overall sense of the message. However, most of the content is placed in one long paragraph, and the extended sentence beginning “I really like to walk” combines several ideas without clear boundaries. Repeated links such as “and also” and “however” do not always show the relationships between ideas precisely. Separate paragraphs for the walking context, the litter, and the proposed action would make the progression easier to follow. Clearer sentence breaks and more varied, accurate linking would also reduce the repetitive feel.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main concern, including “litter,” “garbage,” “footpath,” “leftover foods,” and “garbage bin.” Some choices are repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “litter” and “garbage,” and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “batel leaf spits,” “through there litter,” and “talk an immediate action.” Spelling errors, including “reccomend” and “activites,” also make the writing less controlled. Aim for more precise wording and check spelling: for instance, describe “discarded food wrappers” or “spit-out betel leaves,” and say “take immediate action.” This would make the message clearer and more appropriate for a newspaper letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect ideas in longer sentences, but control is limited and errors sometimes make the message harder to read. For example, “it is lovely and calm place” is missing an article, while “all the litters is spread” has a plural agreement problem. The sentence beginning “I really like to walk” runs several clauses together, and the final request also lacks clear sentence boundaries. There is little evidence of a controlled range of sentence forms beyond these extended constructions. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine related ideas with accurate conjunctions. Check articles, subject–verb agreement, and punctuation, such as: “The park is a lovely, calm place to relax.”

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