Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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 5.5)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter to you to discuss about my countryside condition that we have faced nowadays. Last night I was waliking with my mom in the nearby dogwood gardern.

I really enjoyed walking when I reached at the garden then I saw there were people who also walked down there. They leave lots of rubbish over their insted of putting them in the garbage bins and also done by lots of people who passed away from that site. When I told them to put in the right place they denied and did it again intentionally which not only wrosen the site but also put negative impact on the area because every people faced problem to walk there due to smell and dirt.

I appreciate you if you mention in your local newspaper about some regualtions towards people to maintain cleanliness in that area and also put some labels over there to keep in mind that if they do not follow that ristriction they may be charged fine.

Yours Faithfylly,

Komalprret Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you mention walking in a nearby garden with your mother, describe rubbish left by walkers, and propose newspaper coverage, signs and fines. These are relevant ideas, but some are only partly developed. The reason you enjoy walking is not really explained beyond saying that you enjoy it, and the litter description remains general rather than identifying examples such as bottles or food packaging. The proposed measures are understandable, although it is not clear who would enforce the rules or how the signs would help. The letter’s purpose is apparent, but the opening focuses on a vague “countryside condition” rather than clearly introducing the growing litter problem. Develop each point with specific details to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable letter structure, with an opening, a main discussion and a closing, and the ideas broadly follow the task’s order. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow. For example, the sentence beginning “They leave lots of rubbish” combines where litter is left, people passing the site, your confrontation with walkers and the effects on the area. The connection between these details is not always clear, and “which” in the following clause has an uncertain reference. Paragraphing helps separate the opening from the main points, but the final paragraph combines a request to the newspaper with two proposed actions. Use shorter, more clearly organised sentences and link each idea explicitly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “rubbish,” “garbage bins,” “maintain cleanliness” and “charged fine,” so the reader can understand the general concern. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the message harder to interpret. “Countryside condition” is vague for the problem you want to report, while “put negative impact” is not a natural expression. There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “waliking,” “gardern,” “regualtions” and “ristriction.” Aim for precise, natural phrases such as “litter problem,” “have a negative impact” and “face a fine,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including a sentence with “when” and a relative clause beginning “which.” However, the longer structures are often difficult to control, and errors can make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “I really enjoyed walking when I reached at the garden then I saw” joins several clauses without clear punctuation, and “They leave lots of rubbish … and also done by lots of people” has an incomplete, confusing structure. There are also problems with articles and prepositions, as in “at the garden” and “in the right place,” and tense shifts between “I was walking,” “They leave” and “they denied.” Practise building accurate sentences before combining them, and keep verb tense consistent.

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

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