Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to raise a concern about the increasing amount of rubbish scattered around in the countryside near my home.

Every day, I like to take a walk around the neighbourhood in the afternoon to enjoy the fresh air and relax in nature. Additionally, I love to hang out with my peers to have a nice chat and gossip about the day.

Lately, I have noticed a lot of litter scattered around including some water bottles, food wrappers, and empty cans of soda. The rubbish also includes some of the food leftover by other walkers on the grass.

In my opinion, the whole countryside should have some warning signs displayed around for those who will be seen littering will be fined. Additionally, the dustbins must be introduced to stop people from actually littering in the public spaces.

I am writing so that you mention about this issue in your newspaper for everyone to get to know about the issue and refrain from littering.

Kind regards,

Khadija

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three points: you explain that you walk in the afternoon to enjoy fresh air and nature, identify bottles, wrappers, cans and food scraps, and propose warning signs, fines and bins. The purpose of writing to the newspaper is also clear. These are relevant ideas, but some are less fully developed than others. For example, “around the neighbourhood” does not identify the countryside location very specifically, and the suggestions would be stronger if you explained how signs or bins could be placed and maintained. The request for the newspaper to publicise the issue is appropriate, though it could be expressed more directly. Overall, the task is covered, with room to extend and clarify some details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: purpose, enjoyment of walking, examples of litter, proposed solutions, and a closing request. Paragraph breaks help the reader follow these stages, and linking words such as “Additionally” make relationships between ideas clear. However, using “Additionally” twice gives the linking a somewhat mechanical feel, and the final paragraph repeats “issue” rather than moving smoothly to a concise request. The connection between walking with friends and the litter problem could also be made more purposeful. To improve progression, use a wider range of natural transitions and make each paragraph lead clearly into the next, while keeping the current clear overall structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to describe the topic, including “scattered,” “food wrappers,” “empty cans” and “warning signs.” These choices make the problem understandable, and the examples are specific. Some wording is less precise or natural for a formal letter: “hang out with my peers” and “gossip about the day” sound informal, while “food leftover” is an awkward expression. “Rubbish” and “litter” are repeated, and “issue” appears twice in the closing. Aim for more precise environmental vocabulary and a consistently formal register. For instance, you could describe “food scraps” and explain that waste is “left along the walking paths,” reducing repetition while making the account more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes a mix of simple sentences and more developed structures, such as “I am writing to raise a concern…” and the sentence beginning “In my opinion.” Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. In “for those who will be seen littering will be fined,” the clause structure is faulty; a clearer version is “people who are caught littering should be fined.” In “I am writing so that you mention about this issue,” the verb pattern is incorrect; use “I am writing to ask you to mention this issue.” The sentence about food left on the grass also needs a more accurate construction, such as “food scraps left by other walkers.” Check clause structure and verb patterns while continuing to use varied sentence forms.

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