Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-22

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 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to inform you about the garbage thrown by the visitors in the outskirts area near my house. I usually go for a walk on regular basis to feel refreshed In order to keep myself physically and mentally healthy in the nearby area. I noticed a lot of grabage there. Although i had already talked to many people regarding this neither no one is trying to listen nor taking any steps to improve the situation. I request you to adress this issue in your local newspaper so that the satisfactory response can be seen. Please write about the disadvantages of litter for soceity Morover mention about the imposement of fines for awareness.I look forward to hear from you.Thank-you for your time and assistance.

Yours faithfully

Sharanpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the purpose of the letter and mention that walking helps you feel refreshed and stay physically and mentally healthy. You also refer to litter and suggest newspaper coverage and fines, so the main topic is relevant. However, the task is only partially addressed: the location is described vaguely as the “outskirts area near my house,” and the litter itself is not described beyond “a lot of garbage.” The proposed actions are also brief and not explained. The response is 17 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop these points. Add specific examples of litter and explain practical measures, such as bins, signs, or enforcement, to make the request more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter follows a recognisable format, with an appropriate greeting, a statement of purpose, and a polite closing. The ideas are generally related to the problem, and phrases such as “Although” and “so that” attempt to connect them. However, the body is presented as one dense paragraph, so the reader has little help distinguishing your enjoyment of walking, the litter problem, and your suggestions. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “Although I had already talked to many people regarding this neither no one…” and the shift to “Please write about the disadvantages…” Use separate paragraphs for the three task points and connect each idea with clear, accurate transitions to create a more logical progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “physically and mentally healthy,” “litter,” “disadvantages,” and “fines.” These choices make your general concern understandable. However, the range is limited, and several spelling and word-choice errors reduce the letter’s accuracy, including “grabage,” “adress,” “soceity,” and “improvement” expressed as “improvement the situation.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “imposement of fines” and “satisfactory response can be seen.” Aim for precise, natural expressions that describe the problem and proposed action. For example, you could refer to “plastic wrappers and bottles” and ask the newspaper to “raise public awareness” or call for “penalties for littering.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including “Although I had already talked to many people…” and “so that…” clauses. The intended meaning is usually recoverable, but errors occur frequently and sometimes make sentences difficult to follow. For instance, “I usually go for a walk on regular basis to feel refreshed In order to keep myself…” has an unclear sentence boundary and awkward clause structure, while “neither no one is trying to listen nor taking any steps” has faulty construction. There are also issues with capitalisation and punctuation, such as the capitalised “In” mid-sentence and the run-together “Morover mention.” Practise forming complete sentences, using parallel structures, and checking punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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

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