Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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,

This letter is in reference to the litter left by people in the area near my house. It has become increasingly problematic and needs to be stopped.

The street near my home leads straight to a beautiful lake surrounded by lush, green trees. It is a breathtaking view, particularly in the morning after dawn, when the Sun acts as a backdrop. I usually walk there in the morning because it calms me down before my hectic day of working at the hospital. It is also a great way to meet other passionate walkers such as myself during these excursions.

However, since last week, I have been noticing that people are leaving wrappers and packets of food and biscuits, that they often eat during their walks. This has has ruined the natural beauty of the area. Furthermore, stale food also leaves an unbearable smell in the environment.

I believe people should be educated on the consequences of littering, so that they may realise that it is a bad habit. Your newspaper could publish an article stating this information. Furthermore, extra bins should be available so that walkers can easily throw away their litter. Currently there is only one trashcan serving the entire area, which is not enough.These are some of the ways we can curtail the problem of littering.

I hope together we can do something about the problem.

Yours faithfully,

Aymun.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three points clearly: you explain that you walk to the lake for its scenery, calmness, and social opportunities; describe food wrappers and packets, as well as the smell of stale food; and propose public education and more bins. The purpose is clear from the opening, and the suggestions are relevant to a local newspaper audience. The details about the morning setting and your work at the hospital help extend the reasons for walking. To develop the response further, make the proposed action more specific—for example, suggest where additional bins should be placed or how the newspaper could encourage walkers to use them. The ideas are clear and supported, though the solutions remain somewhat general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: it introduces the problem, explains why the area matters to you, describes the litter, and then offers solutions. Separate paragraphs make each stage easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “However” and “Furthermore” help signal contrasts and additions. The closing is appropriate for a letter to a newspaper. Cohesion is generally effective, although “Furthermore” is used repeatedly in the solutions paragraph, making the connection between points slightly mechanical. The sentence beginning “Currently there is only one trashcan” also runs directly into the next sentence without a space after the full stop. Varying transitions and checking sentence boundaries would make the organisation feel more polished while preserving its clear progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a good range of vocabulary to describe both the setting and the problem, including “breathtaking view,” “lush, green trees,” “hectic day,” and “unbearable smell.” These choices make the letter vivid and show some flexibility beyond basic vocabulary. The wording is generally appropriate, though a few expressions could be more natural or precise: “the Sun acts as a backdrop” is an unusual description, and “packets of food and biscuits” is less concise than a direct description of the discarded packaging. “Trashcan” is understandable, but “rubbish bin” may sound more natural in this context. Aim for precise, idiomatic phrasing, especially when describing the litter and the landscape.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response uses a range of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “I usually walk there in the morning because it calms me down” and “when the Sun acts as a backdrop.” Most sentences are clear and grammatically controlled, and the reader can follow the message without difficulty. A few errors remain: “This has has ruined” repeats the auxiliary, and the comma in “packets of food and biscuits, that they often eat” is not needed before the defining clause. There is also a missing space after the full stop in “not enough.These.” Proofreading for repeated words, punctuation, and sentence boundaries would improve accuracy while retaining the variety of structures already used.

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

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