Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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 6.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to your newspaper to publish a complain about the litter that I recenlty noticed in the countryside area.

I have been enjoying this countryside area for last five years that is around 5 kms away from my home. I visit this area on regular basis in the evening because I like to spend some time in the quiter and natural atmosphere. It gives me peace and reduces stress.

Last week, I encounter a considerable amount of garbage there, which makes the surroundings dirty and unpleasent. There I noticed food wrappers, plastic bottles, and food containers. Instead of disposing them properly, visitors left them behind on the ground.

I would appreciate it if the news to make people aware about the negative consequences of throwing garbage on the ground and spoiling the beauty of nature could be published in your newspaper. It would also be helpful to request the city council to install more bins in the busy areas.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope the news will be published to maintain the cleanliness in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Soni.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three points clearly: you explain that you walk near your home for peace and stress relief, identify specific rubbish such as “food wrappers, plastic bottles, and food containers,” and propose newspaper coverage and more bins. The purpose is clear from the opening, and the tone is appropriately formal. Your suggestions are relevant, though the action plan could be extended with a more specific measure—for example, signs, regular clean-ups, or enforcement—and the consequences of littering could be explained more fully. Overall, the response develops its main ideas and maintains a clear focus on the problem, while some supporting details remain general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a clear sequence: purpose, enjoyment of the area, description of the litter, and proposed solutions. Separate paragraphs make each stage easy to follow, and phrases such as “Last week” and “It would also be helpful” guide the reader through the account. The closing is appropriate for a letter to a newspaper. Some links are a little mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “area” and the transition from describing the litter to requesting newspaper coverage. You could make the progression smoother by explicitly connecting the litter’s effects to your proposed actions, while keeping the current clear paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use adequate vocabulary for the topic, including “considerable amount,” “surroundings,” “negative consequences,” and “install more bins.” These choices communicate the issue and proposed response clearly. However, some spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “complain” should be “complaint,” “recenlty” is misspelled, and “quiter” and “unpleasent” also need correction. A few expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “the news to make people aware” and “maintain the cleanliness.” Aim for more natural collocations and proofread spelling; this would make the vocabulary more controlled without changing the clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes a mix of simple and complex forms, such as “I would appreciate it if…” and the relative clause “which makes the surroundings dirty and unpleasent.” Most sentences are understandable, and the errors do not prevent the reader from following your message. Some grammatical patterns need attention: “for last five years” requires an article or a different time expression, and “on regular basis” needs an article. In “I encounter a considerable amount … last week,” the past-tense form is needed. The long request sentence beginning “I would appreciate it if the news…” is also difficult to control. Practise accurate articles and tense choices, and divide complex requests into clearer clauses.

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

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