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 am writing to bring your readers attention to increased litter in our countryside where people come to walk daily while leaving their garbage on the sidewalk.

The small quite garden full of greenery, flowers and fresh air, is the reason why i enjoy walking and spending my morning there.Since, last four month I have been going for a morning walk in a small garden right in front of my house and I usually see my neighbourhood people walking there with their pets.

However, from few days I have noticed people throwing their waste such as eaten fruits or plastic bottles in the garden which is bothering many people. Not only wrappers and plastic bottles have been seen, but pet waste is another thing that people are complaining about. Moreover, it makes uneasy to walk because I have to be careful while taking every step in the garden ending up with frustration.

To address this escalating issue, I would like to suggest a couple of practical solutions. First, city council should install wildlife- proof waste bins at key points in the park. Additionally, putting proper signage reminding walkers of the legal penalities for littering might act as an effective deterrent.

I hope you will publish this letter in your article section in order to raise awareness among people.

Yours Faithfully,

John Gauthier

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points and maintain a clear purpose: you explain that you enjoy the greenery and fresh air, describe fruit waste, bottles, wrappers and pet waste, and propose bins and signs about penalties. The examples make the problem concrete, while the suggestions are relevant and practical. Your request for publication also suits a letter to a newspaper. To strengthen the response further, develop the reasons for enjoying this particular place more fully, and clarify the setting: you refer to “our countryside,” a “sidewalk,” a “garden” and a “park,” which makes the location less precise. You could also explain briefly how the council or newspaper might help implement or publicise your proposals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression from its purpose, to your enjoyment of the garden, to the litter problem, proposed solutions and a closing request. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “However,” “Moreover” and “Additionally” help connect ideas. The contrast between the pleasant setting and the litter is also easy to follow. At times, however, transitions feel slightly mechanical, and some references are not fully consistent: the place is called a garden, countryside, sidewalk and park. The sentence beginning “Not only wrappers and plastic bottles…” is understandable but could be integrated more smoothly with the preceding list. Use consistent names for the location and vary linking methods by showing the relationship between ideas directly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the topic and includes some useful, specific terms, such as “wildlife-proof waste bins,” “legal penalties” and “effective deterrent.” The descriptions of “plastic bottles,” “wrappers” and “pet waste” make the issue clear. There are, however, some word-choice and collocation inaccuracies that limit precision: “small quite garden” is unclear, “eaten fruits” is unnatural, and “in your article section” does not sound idiomatic. “Escalating issue” is a more formal phrase, though the letter could use similarly precise language throughout. Check spelling in “penalities,” and choose natural combinations such as “fruit scraps,” “quiet garden” and “letters section.” This would make the vocabulary more accurate and flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the relative clause in “the reason why I enjoy walking” and the “Not only…but…” construction. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors occur. For example, “Since, last four month I have been going” needs a more accurate time expression and tense construction, while “the reason why i enjoy” requires a capital letter. In “The small quite garden …, is the reason,” the comma separates the subject from its verb, and “there.Since” needs spacing and sentence-boundary correction. Review articles, plurals and punctuation, and read each sentence aloud to check that clauses connect cleanly. Greater accuracy in these areas would make your varied sentence forms more controlled.

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

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