Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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 or Madam,

I am a resident of Setia Park City. Every morning, I go for a brisk walk to exercise. The surroundings are so peaceful, as they have several eucalyptus trees, which are very fragrant to smell while we take a walk along the man-made pedestrian path around the park. The scenery is very beautiful, and it calms the mind and soul as well. Until recently, I came across a few places that were littered with a lot of trash, which is not pleasant to look at.

The barbecue area, which is granted to some locals to use to run a party, is often piled up with trash. The bin is often piled up with cans and rubbish that is often dumped, and it falls all over the grass and pedestrian walking pathways. Also, this has caused a significant increase in flies, and the foul smell lingers, and it makes the situation even worse for the park users to walk without stepping one of two in

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You explain why you enjoy walking, identifying the peaceful scenery, eucalyptus trees and path around the park, and you describe litter around the barbecue area, including overflowing bins, rubbish on the grass and flies. However, the response does not complete the task: it ends mid-sentence and gives no suggestion about what should be done. The description also focuses on one location, while the purpose of writing to the newspaper is not made clear beyond reporting the problem. To strengthen the letter, finish the account and propose practical measures, such as more bins, regular collection, signs or enforcement, and make a clear request for the newspaper to raise the issue.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas are generally understandable and move from your enjoyment of the park to the litter problem. The opening paragraph gives useful context, and the second paragraph narrows the focus to the barbecue area. Linking expressions such as “Also” help connect details, but the progression is incomplete: the letter stops during a sentence and never moves to a proposed solution or closing. Some connections are also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “often” and the chain of clauses joined by “and.” Organise the letter into clear stages—reason for writing, examples of litter, suggested action—and use paragraphing and linking phrases to make those stages explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the setting and problem, including “peaceful,” “fragrant,” “littered,” “pedestrian pathways,” “significant increase” and “foul smell.” These choices make the situation clear, and the topic vocabulary is relevant. Some expressions are less natural or imprecise, however: “fragrant to smell” is awkward, “granted to some locals to use to run a party” is unclear, and “piled up with trash” is repeated. Choose more idiomatic collocations, such as “the scent of eucalyptus,” “reserved for local events,” and “overflowing with rubbish.” A broader range for solutions, such as “install additional bins” or “increase collection frequency,” would also help complete the communicative purpose.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and more complex structures, including the relative clause in “The barbecue area, which is…” and the reason clause beginning “as they have several eucalyptus trees.” Most of the meaning remains accessible, but some sentence construction and punctuation need more control. The final sentence becomes a long chain of clauses joined by “and,” then ends with the incomplete phrase “without stepping one of two in,” which prevents the thought from being understood. There is also an unclear construction in “which is granted to some locals to use.” Break long sentences into shorter units, check that each sentence is complete, and proofread verb forms and clause relationships before submitting.

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