Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my concern regarding increasing amount of litter being left behind by walkers in the countryside surrounding our town. I believe this issue deserves public attention, as it is gradually spoiling an otherwise beautiful natural environment.

I regularly walk around the scenic trails near Greenfield Woods, particularly at weekends, as it given me an opportunity to escape the noise and stress from daily routine. I enjoy fresh air, peaceful surrondings, and picturesque views of the open fields. This walks also allow me to stay physcially active while appreciating the nature.

Unfortunately, I have noticed a significant increase in rubbish scattered along the walking paths over the last few months. Plastic bottles, empty crisp packets, disposal cups are frequently found near benches and picnic spots. On several ocassions, I have seen household waste dumped beside the footpath. This is making the area look untidy and there is potential health risk associated with it.

I would urge the council to install more rubbish bins at popular walking routes and ensure they are emptied regularly. The council could also impose penalties on people caught littering, which would help discourage such irresponsible behaviour.

I hope your newspaper will highlight this issue and encourage residents to take greater responsibility for protecting our countryside.

Yours sincerely,

Jane

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three required points clearly. You explain why you walk—“to escape the noise and stress”—and identify Greenfield Woods and its trails; you give concrete examples of litter, including bottles, crisp packets, cups and household waste; and you propose practical responses through more bins, regular emptying and penalties. The opening establishes the concern and the closing asks the newspaper to raise public awareness, so the purpose and tone are appropriate for a formal letter. The ideas are well supported with details such as rubbish near benches and picnic spots. To strengthen the response further, briefly explain how the suggested measures could be implemented or encourage walkers to use the bins, rather than relying mainly on general recommendations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

The information is arranged in a clear, purposeful sequence: the opening states the concern, the next paragraphs explain your enjoyment of the area and describe the problem, and the final paragraphs offer solutions and a closing appeal. Paragraphing is appropriate, and links such as “Unfortunately,” “This is making the area look untidy,” and “I hope” help the reader follow the progression. The letter also maintains a consistent focus on litter in the countryside. To make the flow even more polished, connect the description of the litter more explicitly to the proposed actions—for example, explain that bins near benches and picnic spots would address where rubbish is commonly found. Overall, cohesion is well managed without disrupting the message.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a good range of topic-appropriate vocabulary, including “scenic trails,” “picturesque views,” “significant increase,” “household waste,” and “impose penalties.” These choices communicate the issue precisely and suit a formal letter to a newspaper. There are, however, occasional spelling and word-choice errors that prevent consistently precise control: “surrondings,” “physcially,” and “ocassions” should be corrected, while “disposal cups” is not the natural phrase for this item. “Appreciating the nature” is also less idiomatic than “appreciating nature.” Proofreading spelling and checking common collocations would make the vocabulary more accurate and fluent while preserving the effective range already shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The letter includes a useful variety of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “as it given me an opportunity…” and “which would help discourage…” alongside clear statements and recommendations. Many sentences are grammatically sound, and the message remains easy to understand. A few errors persist: “as it given me” needs a finite verb (“as it gives me”), “This walks” should be “These walks,” and “there is potential health risk” needs an article (“there is a potential health risk”). The phrase “escape the noise and stress from daily routine” would also be clearer with an article before “daily routine.” Review subject–verb agreement, demonstratives and article use, while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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