Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-08

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 or Madam,

I, citizen of Barrie want to draw your attention on the situation of bins on pathways as it is getting fuller and dirtier day by day by walkers. I would like to complain about the messes which is made by peoples and eventually it gets worsen and might be possibility of sspreading disease also.

Moreover, I enjoys walks or jogs on our streets in the mornings. It helps me to freshen up while I am taking fresh air outside. Me and my neighbours often go out on Pollard street near my home. While I am seeing too much litters in bins which overflooded by garbbage more than two weeks. Even garbbage collectors comes only once in a week; it further makes the bins overflow by the time. This situation might end up with mosquitoes, rats, mices in surrounding areas. It will cause the spread of diseases such as malaria, dengue and fever among the citizens.

However, I would request you to visit this area and take proper coverage of the scenario to write an article in your newspaper. In this way, city councils and other citizens would take this matter seriously. Eventhough, I request too many times to city officials via calls and written statements; none of it worked. I think this will be the best option; plaese share your opinion.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Jhon

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main situation and offer a relevant action: asking the newspaper to report the problem so that the council and residents take it seriously. You also identify Pollard Street and explain that you walk or jog there for fresh air. However, the description focuses mainly on overflowing bins and their possible health effects, rather than giving a clear range of litter seen on your walks. The request to the newspaper is understandable, but the letter does not clearly suggest practical measures such as more frequent collection or additional bins. Some ideas are also unclear, including the opening reference to “the situation of bins on pathways.” Develop the litter details and make your proposed solutions explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the concern, describes the area and its condition, and ends with a request to the newspaper. Paragraph breaks help separate these stages. However, progression is not always clear because the opening moves from bins to a complaint about “messes” and disease before explaining the walking location. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “However,” and “In this way” are used, but some do not show the intended relationship between ideas; “However” does not introduce a contrast, for example. References such as “this situation” and “none of it” are also not fully precise. Organise the content around the three task points and use simpler, more accurate links between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “pathways,” “overflowed,” “garbage collectors,” and “spread of diseases,” so the reader can identify the concern. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate enough to make parts difficult to understand. Examples include “draw your attention on,” “too much litters,” “overflooded by garbbage,” and “take proper coverage of the scenario.” Spelling errors such as “mices,” “plaese,” and “sspreading” also reduce clarity. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully; precise phrases such as “report on the problem” and “overflowing with rubbish” would communicate your meaning more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a cause-and-effect explanation of how overflowing bins could attract pests and spread illness. However, errors occur frequently, and some sentences are difficult to follow. For example, “I, citizen of Barrie want” is missing an article and has faulty sentence structure, while “I enjoys” and “garbage collectors comes” show subject–verb agreement problems. There are also errors in plurals and sentence construction in “the messes which is made by peoples” and “Even though, I request too many times.” Use a reliable subject–verb pattern, check singular and plural forms, and divide complex ideas into shorter sentences. This will make your meaning clearer while retaining some sentence variety.

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

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