Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to file a complaint about the waste collected in the Bear Mountain region. I use to go there for an evening walk and yesterday, I noticed garbage around the lake area which was not only polluting the water body but also its surrounding.

Since I am a corporate worker, I have a demanding schedule which makes me exhausted by the evening. So, to refresh my mind and take a break from my challenging routine, I visit Bear mountain rural community especially the walking trail near the lake, almost every other day. The tranquility of the place helps me get connected to the nature and alleviates my stress.

However, yesterday during my walk, I saw a few plastic bottles, soda cans and wrappers not only along the trail but also inside the lake which made the water stink. I picked some of the garbage but unfortunately, there were not many garbage bins to dispose it off.

Given the circumstances, I recommend you to either arrange someone to clean the area thoroughly or provide us the permission to clean it. Many of my neighbours are willing to work as volunteers for the job. However, we will still require your assistance in providing us with the cleaning supplies as we might not have advance equipments to do the job.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Yours faithfully,

Komal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three points and maintains a clear, appropriate purpose: you explain that walking the lake trail helps you relax, describe bottles, cans and wrappers along the path and in the lake, and propose both a clean-up and volunteer support. These details make the complaint specific and relevant. The suggestions are also supported by the offer from your neighbours, which gives the request a practical basis. To strengthen the response further, make the requested action more precise: for example, ask the newspaper to raise the issue with the local council, and suggest installing more bins or arranging regular collections. This would develop the proposed solutions more fully rather than leaving responsibility and next steps somewhat general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised in a clear sequence: purpose, reasons for enjoying the walks, a description of the problem, and proposed solutions. Paragraphing supports this progression, and linking expressions such as “However,” “So,” and “Given the circumstances” help the reader follow the shift between ideas. The closing is also appropriate for a formal letter. Some connections could be more precise and less repetitive: “However” introduces both the litter description and the final request, although the second transition is more about proposing action than contrast. You could also connect the shortage of bins directly to a specific recommendation, such as asking for bins to be installed along the trail. This would make the progression between problem and solution even smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “demanding schedule,” “tranquility,” “alleviates my stress,” and “volunteers.” The specific list of “plastic bottles, soda cans and wrappers” clearly conveys the nature of the litter. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural choices that keep the vocabulary from being consistently precise: “file a complaint” is less natural here than “raise a concern,” and “waste collected” suggests rubbish has been gathered rather than left behind. “Advance equipments” is also an inaccurate phrase; “specialised equipment” would be more natural. Aim for precise collocations and avoid wording that changes the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response includes a useful mix of simple and complex sentences, with generally clear control of longer structures, such as the sentence explaining how the walking trail helps you manage stress. Most sentences are easy to understand, and punctuation and paragraphing are handled well. A few grammatical errors remain. In “I use to go there,” the past habit should be “I used to go there.” In “not only polluting the water body but also its surrounding,” the parallel structure needs to be completed, for example, “but also polluting the surrounding area.” The phrase “dispose it off” should be “dispose of it,” and “permission to clean it” would be clearer as “permission to clean the area.” Checking verb forms, parallel constructions and pronoun references would improve accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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