Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 in respect of how the littering in our town (Jago) has significantly increased. I usually take walks for about thirty minutes to an hour especially to the park just before Janet's convenient store and I do this to keep fit because I am a strong believer that at least 10,000 steps a day keeps the body active and protects it from diseases. I also do this to mingle with other locals.

During these walks, I have noticed that the dumping of dirts on the streets have increased greatly. There are empty wraps of biscuits, candies, plastic bags, to mention but a few. These litters have made my strolls less enjoyable.

I suggest that certain actions should be taken to curb this behaviour. For example, a fine can be imposed on anyone caught dumping wastes inappropriately. More gabbage disposal cans could also be made readily available. In addition, the government can also employ people who would sweep the environment at least once daily. I do hope these suggestions would be put into consideration

Yours faithfully,

Ruth PA

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three points: you explain that you walk to keep fit and meet local people, identify the park near Janet’s store, describe discarded wrappers and plastic bags, and propose fines, more bins, and daily cleaning. These details make the response relevant and give the reader a clear sense of the problem. The suggestions are practical, but they are listed rather than explained—for example, you could say how fines would be publicised or where extra bins should be placed. The description also focuses on litter in the streets, while the task concerns the countryside walking area, so clarifying that these items are found along your walking route would strengthen the connection. Overall, the main purpose is clear, though some ideas could be developed further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: the opening explains your concern and walking habits, the next paragraph describes the litter, and the final paragraph offers solutions. This progression helps the reader follow your message, and phrases such as “During these walks” and “For example” signal the relationship between ideas. Some linking is a little mechanical, however: “also” appears more than once in the suggestions, and the list of actions could be grouped or connected more smoothly. The first paragraph combines several points in one long sentence, which makes the explanation less easy to follow. A clearer separation between your reasons for walking and the location would improve progression, while a more conventional closing sentence would make the letter feel more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “littering,” “imposed,” “inappropriately,” and “readily available.” These choices communicate the issue and proposed responses clearly. There are some inaccurate or unnatural word choices and spelling slips, such as “dumping of dirts,” “gabbage,” and “litters”; these reduce precision, even though the reader can understand your meaning. “Convenient store” is also not the natural term for the shop you mention, and “in respect of” sounds overly formal in this context. Aim for accurate, natural collocations rather than more formal-sounding phrases. Using specific terms for the litter and the walking route would also make the description more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple and more complex sentence forms, such as the sentence beginning “I usually take walks” and the conditional suggestion “anyone caught dumping wastes.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. In “the dumping of dirts on the streets have increased,” the singular subject “dumping” requires a singular verb; the sentence also needs a more suitable noun construction. The long opening sentence joins several ideas and would be clearer if divided. The final sentence, “I do hope these suggestions would be put into consideration,” has an awkward tense/modal construction, and it needs a full stop. Check subject–verb agreement, sentence boundaries, and punctuation while retaining your attempts at complex structures.

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