Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23
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 this letter to report the issue of littering by other walkers in the countryside. A majority of people walk in the area and it is really close to my house. The problem of discarding waste is becoming more common by people who walk around.
I enjoy walking in the Elizabeth Park, which has a beautiful trail going upwards and is surrounded by trees and flower beds. Moreover, this environment provides the sense of calmness, relaxation, and comfort.
Unfortunately, people often litter their empty cans, water bottles,and snack wrappers while walking. Initially, the issue was relatively uncommon because a few number of people used the trail for walking. However, with the increased number of walkers, the situation has become more serious.
Therefore, i would like you to write an article on this topic and publish it in the next week's newspaper. Moreover, please report this issue to the mayor of the area so the trashcans can be placed in the area. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for your understanding.
With regards,
Sammy
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
You address all three points and maintain a clear purpose: you report the problem, explain your enjoyment of walking in Elizabeth Park, and ask the newspaper to raise the issue and the mayor to provide bins. The description of the park’s trail, trees and flower beds gives relevant support, while the examples of cans, bottles and snack wrappers make the litter problem concrete. Your account of the increase in walkers also explains why the issue has worsened. To develop the response further, make the proposed action more specific—for example, suggest regular clean-ups or a public reminder campaign alongside installing bins. The request to publish an article is clear, but the practical measures could be explained more fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The letter has a clear progression: you introduce the concern, describe the place and your reasons for walking, give examples of litter, and finish with requests for action. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “Unfortunately,” and “Therefore” help signal relationships between ideas. The contrast between the problem’s earlier rarity and its current seriousness is also easy to follow. At times, however, the connections feel somewhat formulaic, particularly the repeated use of “Moreover.” You could make the flow more natural by varying transitions or linking ideas directly, and by ensuring that each paragraph develops one main point without repeating the general claim that littering is becoming more common.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
Your vocabulary is adequate for the topic and includes some useful descriptive choices, such as “beautiful trail,” “surrounded by trees and flower beds,” and “snack wrappers.” Phrases including “discarding waste” and “the situation has become more serious” also communicate the issue clearly. However, some wording is imprecise or unnatural: “litter their empty cans” would be more naturally expressed as “leave empty cans,” and “a few number of people” is not an accurate collocation. “Provides the sense of calmness” is also less idiomatic than “creates a sense of calm.” Greater control of natural collocations and more precise terms for the proposed response would strengthen the letter’s vocabulary while preserving its clear meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the relative clause in “the Elizabeth Park, which has a beautiful trail” and the time clause beginning “because a few number of people used the trail.” Most sentences are understandable, and the grammar does not obstruct your message. Some errors remain, however: “i” should be capitalised, and “a few number of people” needs a different grammatical construction, such as “few people.” In “so the trashcans can be placed,” the passive form is understandable, though the sentence could be integrated more smoothly with the request. Check punctuation and spacing as well, such as the missing space after “bottles,”. More consistently accurate sentence construction would improve control.
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