Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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 to express my concern about the litter left by many walkers near my home in the countryside.

We have walking trails near the river where I enjoy walking in the evenings and spending some me time, also escaping from a busy routine. This place allows me to feel relaxed, calm down after a hectic schedule, enjoy fresh air, and explore beautiful nature.

However, I recently noticed that walkers have left their litter behind. I also checked that we don't have enough bins in that area, which is why people are leaving litter here and there. There are plastic bottles, empty cans, paper bags, empty food packets, and other items along the paths.

I think the local council should install more bins so that people can dispose of litter in the appropriate bins, and they should also create signboards stating "no dumping on trails." They can impose some fines so that people are aware and they throw litter in the respective bins. They should also organize cleaning activities regularly.

I request that you publish a letter to raise awareness among people about keeping our city clean and tidy.

Yours faithfully,

Cecilia

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 you walk by the river to relax and enjoy nature, describe specific rubbish such as “plastic bottles,” “empty cans” and “food packets,” and propose bins, signs, fines and regular clean-ups. These details make the complaint relevant and give the newspaper a clear reason to raise the issue. The request to publish a letter also suits the audience. To develop the ideas more fully, explain briefly how one or two measures would change walkers’ behaviour—for example, placing bins at trail entrances or stating how fines would be enforced. The suggestions are relevant, but some are presented as a list rather than being supported or prioritised.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear progression: you introduce your concern, describe why the area matters to you, give examples of litter, suggest solutions, and close with a request to the newspaper. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking words such as “However” and “also” help connect points. The letter is easy to follow overall. Some connections are less smooth, particularly “I also checked that we don't have enough bins,” which shifts abruptly from the litter to its possible cause. The solutions paragraph also groups several proposals together without showing which is most important. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and organise the actions in a deliberate order to make the progression more flexible and polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “walking trails,” “hectic schedule,” “dispose of litter,” “impose some fines” and “raise awareness.” The list of rubbish is specific and helps convey the problem clearly. There are, however, some awkward or imprecise choices that limit naturalness: “spending some me time” is informal and incorrectly formed, “checked that” does not naturally express discovering a shortage, and “respective bins” is not the usual collocation here. “No dumping” may also sound more appropriate for illegal disposal than for litter left by walkers. Aim for precise, natural phrases suited to a formal letter, while retaining the useful topic-specific vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response includes a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and several sentences are clear and accurate, such as “There are plastic bottles, empty cans, paper bags, empty food packets, and other items along the paths.” The suggestions paragraph also uses a range of clauses joined with “so that” and “and.” Some grammatical slips remain. In “spending some me time,” the phrase is not correctly formed; “I also checked that we don't have enough bins” uses a tense and clause pattern that do not fit the intended meaning; and “They can impose some fines so that people are aware and they throw litter” has an unclear relationship between the clauses. Review phrase structure and clause connections, and use a consistent past tense when describing what you recently observed.

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

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