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

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to express my concern regarding the litter that i have seen yesterday when i was walking near to my house.My name is Mansi and i am working as an accountant in SBI bank.

However,i am always busy in my working schedule and in the evening i prefer to do some walk closest to my home because i do not get enough time for doing any physical exercise or go to gym.Hence, that is why i just go for evening walk with my family member.So, walking along the farms,chirruping of birds and fresh air helps alot to refresh my mind and i feels active .This activity in the evening works as a stress buster for me.

Although,when i go for a evening walk i always see a dumping area where people throw the garbage,plastice and compost.To be honest , it smells too bad and helps in the growth of insects and mosquitoes,which will lead to malaria like diseases.I just want to address these issues in the local newspaper so that local people and also municipal community will aware of these issues and which helps to find solutions.

Hoping for careful consideration from you.

Your's faithfully,

Mansi

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address the main situation and explain why you walk: the countryside, birds and fresh air help you relax and feel active. You also identify litter and mention its unpleasant smell and possible health effects. However, the response only partially fulfils the task because the litter is described generally as a “dumping area” with “garbage, plastice and compost,” rather than giving a clear picture of what you have seen on your walks. Most importantly, you do not suggest specific actions to solve the problem; saying that the newspaper may help people and the municipal community find solutions leaves this part undeveloped. To strengthen the letter, propose practical measures such as more bins, warning signs, regular clean-ups or fines.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, paragraphs about your walking routine and the litter, and a closing. The reader can generally follow the shift from your enjoyment of walking to your concern. However, progression is weakened by mechanical or awkward linking, including “However,” “Hence, that is why,” and “Although,” where the relationship between ideas is not always clear. The final paragraph also combines the litter’s effects with the purpose of writing, making the central request difficult to identify. Use clearer paragraph focus and simpler transitions: explain your walking location and enjoyment together, describe the litter and its impact next, then give specific proposed actions in a separate paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “fresh air,” “stress buster,” “garbage,” and “mosquitoes,” and the reader can understand the general concern. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “do some walk,” “closest to my home,” and “dumping area.” Spelling and word formation errors, including “plastice” and “alot,” also reduce precision. Aim for more natural phrases suited to a formal letter, such as “go for a walk,” “near my home,” and “an area where rubbish is being dumped.” More precise terms for the litter and proposed solutions would help you express the issue clearly and flexibly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, for example, “Although, when i go for a evening walk…” and the sentence explaining that litter can encourage insects and mosquitoes. The overall meaning is usually understandable, but errors in sentence construction and basic grammar occur regularly. Examples include “i am working,” “i feels active,” “a evening walk,” and the unfinished construction “which helps to find solutions.” Some sentences run together without appropriate punctuation, as in the opening, while commas are also placed awkwardly after linking words. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles and complete clause structures, and divide long sentences into shorter units. This will make your ideas easier to follow while retaining some complex sentence forms.

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