Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-14

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 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to inform you about the litter was left by walkers on the countryside area.

Recently, I started a morning walk in the countryside area not very far from my home. I am really enjoying the atmosphere and natural beauty of the site. It gives me a relaxed break after a long day. I literally feel very calm and peaceful while having a walk the area.

Unfortunately, I observed one thing over the time that people are very careless. The people who are coming for a walk dumping there used plastic bottles, packaging and food remainings over here and there. It makes the site very unhygienic and unpleasant. I would like to you taking a strict action against such people. Please could you write an article on this ongoing issue.

Thank you so

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You address the three requested points: you explain that you enjoy the countryside’s “atmosphere and natural beauty,” identify plastic bottles, packaging and food waste, and ask the newspaper to publish an article. However, the response only minimally fulfils the task because the proposed action is vague: “taking a strict action” does not explain what the newspaper, walkers or local authorities should do. The location is also described only as “not very far from my home,” and the reason for walking is not fully clear. The letter ends abruptly at “Thank you so,” without a complete closing. The response is 9 words below the required minimum, which also limits how fully you can develop the points. Add specific measures, such as bins or signs, and complete the ending.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement: it opens with the purpose, then describes your walks, and finally introduces the litter problem and a request to the newspaper. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and words such as “Recently” and “Unfortunately” signal a change in focus. Some connections are less clear or slightly mechanical, however. For example, “I observed one thing over the time that” is an awkward transition, and “over here and there” does not clearly refer back to the countryside area. The final “Thank you so” leaves the letter unfinished and weakens its overall shape. Use more direct links between the observation and its effects, and finish with a conventional sign-off to make the progression feel complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main topic, including “natural beauty,” “plastic bottles,” “packaging” and “unhygienic.” These choices make the subject understandable. However, several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “countryside area” is repeated, “food remainings” is not the natural term, and “dumping there used plastic bottles” contains an incorrect word choice. “I would like to you taking a strict action” also shows difficulty selecting an appropriate phrase. Aim for more natural collocations and avoid repeating “area” and “people.” For instance, refer to “the nearby countryside,” “food waste” and “take action against littering.” This would make the letter clearer and more fluent without requiring unusually advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentences, such as “It makes the site very unhygienic and unpleasant,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, errors occur in several sentence patterns and sometimes make the reader pause. In the opening, “the litter was left” needs a relative structure such as “litter that is left.” “I feel … while having a walk the area” is missing a preposition, while “I would like to you taking” does not form a correct verb pattern. The final phrase, “Thank you so,” is incomplete. These examples show that complex or polite constructions are not yet controlled consistently. Practise relative clauses, verb patterns after “would like,” and prepositions in common phrases, then check each sentence for completeness.

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

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