Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or madam,

I am writing this letter to bring your attention towards the litter problem that we are facing in our neighbourhood around the public park trails.

I enjoy going out for a walk every evening after a hectic work schedule in order to keep my body and mind fresh, I always prefer to take a trail which has an adjacent water creek flowing with it and as i was walking down that trail towards the Childrens playing field today, I noticed a bunch of Plastic bottles and beer cans spread around the path. I even noticed some old shoes and clothes being dumped inside a plastic bag in the water creek.

I am really worried about this situation and would like you to write an article about it in your newspaper in order to create awareness among the local people and the people in charge to maintain the public spaces. Public waste bins needs to be installed in order to make people stop throwing waste outside. I hope you will pay attention towards this issue.

Thank you

Matt.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points: you explain that walking after work refreshes you, identify the park trail beside a creek, describe bottles, beer cans, shoes and clothes, and propose a newspaper article and public bins. The purpose is clear and appropriate for a letter to a local newspaper. The description of the litter is specific, while the proposed solutions are less fully developed: you could explain how awareness might be raised or who should install and maintain the bins. The opening also says “our neighbourhood” but does not clearly identify the countryside setting beyond the park trail. Overall, the task is covered with relevant detail, though some ideas need further explanation and precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall sequence: it introduces the concern, gives personal context and examples, then makes requests and closes politely. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and links such as “I even noticed” and “in order to” show how details relate. However, the second paragraph contains several ideas in one long sentence, so the account of your walk and the litter becomes harder to follow. The final paragraph also moves quickly from requesting an article to recommending bins. Use shorter sentences and clearer transitions to separate the proposed actions and explain their relationship. The organisation is coherent, but some connections feel mechanical or compressed rather than fully smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including “hectic work schedule,” “water creek,” “beer cans,” “awareness,” and “public spaces.” These choices make the situation understandable, and the concrete nouns help the reader picture the litter. Some phrasing is less natural or precise, such as “bring your attention towards” and “a trail which has an adjacent water creek flowing with it.” “Public waste bins” is understandable, though “litter bins” is more idiomatic in this context. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “Plastic,” and “Childrens” needs an apostrophe, which affects written accuracy. Aim for natural collocations and consistent spelling and capitalisation while retaining the useful topic-specific vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex structures, including purpose clauses (“in order to keep my body and mind fresh”) and a relative clause (“which has an adjacent water creek…”). The main message remains clear, but some errors in sentence boundaries, agreement and punctuation reduce control. The second paragraph joins several independent clauses with commas, creating a run-on sentence; divide it into shorter sentences. In “Public waste bins needs to be installed,” the plural subject requires “need.” The opening “Dear Sir or madam” should capitalise “Madam,” and the sentence beginning “as i was walking” needs a capital “I.” More accurate punctuation and agreement, alongside your existing range of structures, would make the letter easier to read.

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

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