Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to bring to your attention the increased quantity of litter at the Frisco recreational park.

I have been an avid walker at this location since the last five years. I enjoy walking on the trails because it allows me to connect with nature while being a weekend getaway from the busy city life. The trails themselves have always been fun to walk on because of them being marked and paved.

However, since the last two weeks I have come across empty water bottles and food waste unattended on the walking paths. The trash cans seem full to the brim while wrappers of trail mixes and used tissue papers lay on the track.

I hope you bring this issue to the publics attention through spreading awareness regarding the side effects of littering for themselves and the environment. Moreover, it is equally important to hold the city council responsible for waste disposal and the maintanence of the Frisco recreational park. I am looking forward to an article from your news firm addressing this issue.

Yours faithfully,

Muhammad Ali Noorani

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter clearly addresses the purpose of writing, which is to bring the issue of litter at Frisco recreational park to the attention of a news publication. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a newspaper editor. The writer outlines personal background with the park, describes the current problem with specific examples such as empty water bottles and food waste, and suggests reasonable solutions like raising public awareness and holding the city council responsible. All parts of the task are well covered, and the ideas are logically extended and supported throughout the response, earning a solid Band 7.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised into a standard formal letter format with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the purpose of the letter in the introduction, personal context and current problems in the body, to the concluding call to action. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'However', 'Moreover', and referencing phrases like 'The trails themselves'. While paragraphing and general flow are clear and progression is maintained, a few transitions feel slightly mechanical, preventing a higher score. Overall, the organisation meets the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally sufficient to convey the message with some flexibility and precision. The student successfully incorporates less common lexical items such as 'avid walker', 'recreational park', 'unattended', and 'waste disposal'. However, there are some minor collocation and prepositional slips, such as 'since the last five years' (instead of 'for the last five years') and 'maintanence' (a spelling error for maintenance). Despite these occasional errors, the lexical range is adequate for the task and communication is never impeded, fitting the Band 6.5 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses ('because of them being marked and paved') and modal verbs ('it is equally important to hold'). There are some grammatical errors present, most notably the time preposition error 'since the last five years' and a spelling lapse ('maintanence'). However, the majority of sentences are clear and error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly. These minor errors do not impede communication, placing the response comfortably within the Band 6.5 range.

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

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