Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 or Madam,

I hope you're doing well. I am writing in regard to an issue about the litter that I have been noticing near my place for the past few weeks now. As a fitness enthusiast, I enjoy walking in the park every evening. This really helps me to stay healthy and maintain a good physique.

However, since a few weeks, I have been noticing more and more waste in this area. Firstly, there are a lot of plastic bottles that people just throw away after drinking water. Secondly, a lot of food wrappers have increased which should actually go in the garbage bins. This really frustrates me as it increases air pollution in the area.

Therefore, my suggestion is to enforce stricter regulations around the park regarding waste disposal. We can also add more garbage bins and signs in the park for waste disposal. This will not only help to keep the park clean, but also reduce air pollution in our locality.

Appreciate your kind support!

Best regards,

John

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain that you walk in the park for fitness, describe plastic bottles and food wrappers, and propose stricter rules, more bins, and signs. Your concern about the effect on the area also gives the letter a clear purpose. The suggestions are relevant, but they are presented briefly; for example, you could explain how signs or enforcement would encourage walkers to dispose of rubbish responsibly. The opening and closing are appropriate for a letter to a newspaper, although “near my place” does not identify the countryside location very precisely. Overall, the task is fully addressed, with ideas supported but some scope for more specific development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression from its purpose, to your walking habits, to the litter problem and possible solutions. Paragraphing separates these stages effectively, and signposting such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Therefore” helps the reader follow your points. The contrast introduced by “However” is also appropriate. Some linking is a little mechanical because the list markers carry much of the progression; you could vary this by connecting the examples more naturally or showing how the litter affects the walking experience. The final request for support provides a suitable close, though it could be linked more explicitly to your proposed actions. Overall, organisation is clear and cohesive, with some room for more flexible linking.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the topic and includes relevant terms such as “plastic bottles,” “food wrappers,” “waste disposal,” and “stricter regulations.” These choices make the problem and your recommendations easy to understand. However, some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “an issue about the litter,” “food wrappers have increased,” and “air pollution” as the stated consequence of litter. The phrase “good physique” is also more focused on appearance than the health benefit you describe. More precise collocations would help you express the issue naturally and accurately. The range is sufficient for this letter, but control of word choice and phrasing is not consistently precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the purpose clause “This really helps me to stay healthy” and the contrast beginning “However.” Most sentences are easy to understand, and punctuation and paragraphing are generally controlled. Some grammatical choices are inaccurate: “since a few weeks” should use a duration form such as “for the past few weeks,” while “a lot of food wrappers have increased” does not form the intended relationship between the wrappers and their growing number. The sentence beginning “This will not only help…” also needs parallel structure after “not only” (for example, “but also reduce”). These errors do not prevent communication, but more consistent control of time expressions and sentence construction would strengthen the writing.

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