Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

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/Madam,

I am writing this to express my growing concern on the litter disposed on the maria street.

Personally, I enjoy havingwalk at the evening time while listening to soft musics.It makes me to switch off from a busy day.I regularly walk for 35 minutes a day to keep my health.I have been doing this for 6 years.

maria street,which is green and filled with different flowers, is my favourite choice.

But these days am really disappointed to see litters like waterbottle, tissue towel and some diapers throne everywhere around the road.the pure and lovable smell of the flower has changed to offensive smell due to the litter.

I would appreciate if your printing interprize will help the community by creating awareness on waste disposal.

Thank you for your understanding.

Yours sincerely,kidist

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three points: you explain that walking helps you switch off and stay healthy, identify Maria Street as your preferred route, describe bottles, tissues and diapers, and suggest community awareness about waste disposal. These details make the letter relevant, but several points are only briefly developed. For example, the proposed awareness campaign is not explained, and you do not say what practical action walkers or local authorities could take. The response is also 17 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop your ideas. Add specific measures, such as bins, signs, or a newspaper appeal, and explain why the countryside route matters to you.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a generally sensible order: your reason for writing, your enjoyment of walking, the litter problem, and a proposed response. This gives the reader an overall coherent account, and the contrast introduced by “But these days” helps signal the change in conditions. However, the letter is presented as one continuous block rather than in clear paragraphs, and some transitions between ideas feel abrupt. The opening and closing are present, but the final request could connect more clearly to the newspaper’s role. Use separate paragraphs for your walking routine, the litter, and your suggested action, and add linking phrases that show how the litter affects your enjoyment of the route.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main points, including “litter,” “waste disposal,” “offensive smell,” and “creating awareness.” Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however, and spelling errors are noticeable: “throne” appears to mean “thrown,” while “printing interprize” is unclear. Phrases such as “litter disposed on” and “soft musics” also do not express the intended meaning naturally. These issues sometimes make the reader pause, although the overall message remains understandable. Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe rubbish as “left along the road” and refer to the newspaper’s “publication” or “coverage.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and more developed sentences, such as “Maria Street, which is green and filled with different flowers, is my favourite choice.” The message is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. Examples include “I enjoy havingwalk” and “It makes me to switch off”; the latter should be “It helps me switch off.” In “these days am really disappointed,” the subject is missing, and “I would appreciate if” needs “it” after “appreciate.” Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, particularly where sentences run together. Practise accurate verb patterns, complete clauses, and sentence boundaries while retaining your attempts at relative clauses and varied sentence forms.

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