Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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 to request you to publish my complaint about an improper rubbish disposal in my local area.

I am a resident of Saddleridge N.E, Calgary and countryside area near my home is asthethic and have an amazing view to walk and relax in the leisure time.

However, from the last few weeks, I am noticing more and more litter on the pedestrian way as well as in the park. I have witnessed some local residents doing this especially in the evenings, when they come with their children. Suprisingly, they let them throw candy or chips wrappers anywhere. Although I have encountered them twice, have not seen any difference in their habit. If I compare with the last month, this area was neat and clean, and was fully maintained.

This is an alarming issue and questions basic manners and citizenship behaviour of general public towards public places. I believe few initiatives such as installing CCTV survellience and more strictness by the local council can restrict people to litter in an improper way.

I would really appreciate, if you publish this concern in your newspaper.

I have also sent some photographs as a proof to editors's email.

Yours faithfully,

Simrat

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three points and maintains a clear purpose: you explain that you enjoy walking and relaxing in the countryside near your home, describe wrappers left on the path and in the park, and propose CCTV and stronger council action. The specific observation about children dropping candy and chip wrappers makes the complaint relevant. The request to publish the concern and mention of photographs also suit a letter to a newspaper. Some ideas are less fully developed: the enjoyment and location are described briefly, and the proposed measures would be more persuasive if you explained how they could prevent littering or added practical options such as more bins or signs. This gives the reader a clear account, though not every point is equally extended.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: purpose, personal context, evidence of the problem, proposed action, and closing request. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “However,” “Although,” and “If I compare” show attempts to connect ideas. The progression is generally clear, but some connections feel mechanical or imprecise. For example, “Although I have encountered them twice, have not seen any difference in their habit” leaves the subject of the second clause unstated, making the reference less clear. The comparison with last month also interrupts the account slightly. To strengthen cohesion, make references explicit and connect each proposed measure directly to the litter problem.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a formal complaint, including “improper rubbish disposal,” “local residents,” “initiatives,” and “citizenship behaviour.” These choices communicate the issue and show an attempt to use more formal vocabulary. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “countryside area … is asthethic,” “strictness by the local council,” and “restrict people to litter.” There are also spelling errors in “asthethic” and “survellience,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for natural combinations and precise terms—for example, describe the scenery as “picturesque,” refer to “stricter enforcement,” and say that measures could “discourage people from littering.” This would make the letter sound more fluent and idiomatic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple sentences and more complex forms, such as the clause beginning “when they come with their children” and the contrast introduced by “Although.” Meaning remains clear overall, but some grammatical errors occur. In “countryside area near my home is … and have,” the subject and verb do not agree, and “Although I have encountered them twice, have not seen” is missing a subject in the second clause. The opening request, “I am writing to request you to publish,” also needs a different grammatical pattern, such as “request that you publish.” There are some article and punctuation issues too, including the comma after “appreciate.” Review agreement, complete clauses, and verb patterns while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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