Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-13

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

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter in order to inform you about the litter which I have observed recently in the countryside, left by other walkers. I am an early riser, and I prefer to start my day with a walk to the countryside park. It keeps me active throughout my whole day, and it is beneficial for my mental well-being.

However, in the past few days, I have observed that the amount of litter thrown by other walkers is increasing day by day. It seems very unpleasant. Yesterday, I saw a huge pile of cans and organic waste in the playground area. If kept unaddressed, there will soon be many insects which will potray a gloomy scenario.

Therefore, as a responsible citizen, I would like your news agency to address this matter. I will be delighted if you convey to the public, about the importance of having clean eco-system. Apart from that, if this news get printed, the local authorities will also take some actions to resolve this matter.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Zain

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main purpose and include all three requested points: you explain that walking keeps you active and supports your mental well-being, describe cans and organic waste, and ask the newspaper to raise awareness so authorities may respond. However, some parts are less fully developed than others. The location is described only as “the countryside park,” and the litter example is limited to one observation, so the scale and variety of the problem remain unclear. Your proposed action focuses mainly on publishing a message; add practical measures, such as more bins, signs, or regular clean-ups, to make the response more specific. The opening “Dear Sir” also does not follow the requested salutation, and the letter’s purpose could be stated more directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised in a clear sequence: you introduce your concern and enjoyment of walking, describe the litter, then suggest a response and close appropriately. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “However,” “Therefore,” and “Apart from that” make the progression easy to follow. The connection between the litter and the predicted insects is also understandable. To make the organisation more polished, avoid relying on formulaic transitions and develop the suggestions in a more connected way—for example, explain how newspaper coverage could encourage residents and local authorities to provide bins or arrange clean-ups. The phrase “Apart from that” introduces an additional point, but the relationship between public awareness and official action could be made more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “mental well-being,” “organic waste,” “responsible citizen,” and “local authorities.” These choices communicate the issue clearly, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several phrases are imprecise or unnatural in this context: “news agency” is not the best term for a local newspaper, “amount of litter thrown” is awkward, and “clean eco-system” is not a natural collocation. There is also a spelling error in “potray.” Choose more precise wording and check spelling, especially in less familiar vocabulary. More specific terms for the rubbish and possible solutions would also help you describe the problem with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the conditional “If kept unaddressed, there will soon be…” and the relative clause “which I have observed recently.” Most sentences are understandable, and grammatical errors rarely obstruct your message. Some errors remain, however. In “if this news get printed,” the verb should agree with the singular subject (“gets”), while “convey to the public, about” has an unnecessary comma separating the verb from its complement. The sentence beginning “If kept unaddressed” also leaves the subject of the opening phrase implicit; naming the litter would make the construction clearer. Continue checking agreement, punctuation, and the structure of introductory clauses to improve accuracy.

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

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