Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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,

i am writting to this letter for about the people who throw the grabage on the walking area.

we are walking near lamba pind chowk in early morning and evening for our good health, because this area very open, no traffic so air quality is good.

but when we walk this area then some people come and throw the garbage bag here, this is the very bad for the enviorment and this area, because this garbage showing this site dirty, and bad smell is coming from this garbage. this garbage area number of animals come and walking people face this problems.

i have a idea if you add this lines for the officer who take the action against this litter, provide the garbage bin every 100 meters so people do not throw the garbage outside, they have arrange proper place for garbage. then all people also help to clean our area.

i look forward to hearing from you.

your faithfully

pardeep kumar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that you walk near Lamba Pind Chowk for your health and the clean air, describe rubbish bags, bad smells and animals, and propose bins and action by local officers. These details make the letter relevant and give the reader a clear sense of the problem. However, some points are less fully developed: for example, you could explain how the litter affects the countryside or specify what action officers should take, such as arranging regular collection or issuing fines. The purpose is clear, but the opening could state more directly that you are writing to raise concern and ask the newspaper to publicise the issue. A more complete explanation of your proposed solutions would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a generally logical order: it introduces the concern, describes your walks and the litter, then offers solutions and closes politely. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and linking words such as “because,” “but” and “then” show relationships between ideas. At times, however, connections are mechanical or unclear. For instance, “this garbage area number of animals come” makes the relationship between rubbish and animals difficult to follow, while repeated references to “this area” and “this garbage” make the description less smooth. Use clearer referencing and organise the problem and its effects into complete, connected sentences. A more conventional letter layout, with a clear opening purpose and a separate paragraph for the request, would also improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main issue, including “garbage bag,” “bad smell,” “environment” and “garbage bin.” The reader can understand that litter is making the walking area unpleasant and attracting animals. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings are inaccurate, including “grabage,” “enviorment” and “walking area.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “throw the garbage outside” and “this garbage showing this site dirty.” Choose more precise expressions and check spelling carefully; for example, “litter along the walking paths” and “the rubbish makes the area look dirty” would sound more natural. Varying repeated words such as “garbage” with “litter” or “rubbish” would also make the letter more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences that explain reasons and consequences, such as the sentence beginning “because this area…” This gives the letter some structural variety, and the main message is usually understandable. However, some errors in sentence structure, verb forms, articles and agreement remain. For example, “this area very open” needs a verb, and “some people come and throw” would be clearer with a consistent tense such as “some people come and leave.” The sentence about animals and walkers is also missing grammatical links, making its meaning harder to follow. Practise building complete clauses with a subject and verb, and check articles and singular/plural agreement. More accurate complex sentences would help you express the cause and effects clearly.

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

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