Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-30

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 inform you about the litter on the streets of the countryside, just near my home. My home address is 134 Denon Ave, P12 H45.

Walking is part of my everyday routine. It helps me destress after a long day at work. I enjoy walking while listening to some music. Since countryside is just a three minutes walk from where I live, I prefer countryside over the hustle and bustle of the city. The greenery on both sides of the road, relaxes me and I instantly feel one with the nature.

A few months ago, I started noticing some litter on one side of the street. I was surprised and did not like the sight of it. However, now, both side of the streets are filled with a ton of polythene bags, packaged food wrappers, some biodegradable foods, and also sanitary napkins. The streets not only look dirty but also there is foul smell all around. It is really hard to stand on the streets let alone walking.

With the help of your newspaper, I am sure you will alert local government about the condition of the streets and will get it cleaned up as soon as possible. My suggestion would be to add 'Do Not Litter' stands every 1 km, to see if people follow it leading to a decline in the litter.

Best Regards,

Mansi Joshi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points: you explain that walking helps you unwind and describe the nearby countryside, give specific examples of litter, and propose action through the newspaper and local government. The description of polythene bags, food wrappers and sanitary napkins makes the problem clear. However, the proposed “Do Not Litter” stands are not fully explained: it is unclear who would install or monitor them, and the request for government action could be more specific, such as arranging regular clean-ups or providing bins. The opening also includes a home address despite the instruction that addresses are unnecessary. The response is relevant and purposeful, but some suggestions need further development to make the appeal more convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall progression: purpose, reasons for walking, the worsening litter problem, and suggested action. Separate paragraphs help the reader follow these stages, and transitions such as “However” and “With the help of your newspaper” make the relationships between ideas clear. Some connections are less smooth, though. The shift from the initial litter on one side of the street to both sides being filled is understandable but could be expressed more precisely as a change over time. The final paragraph also combines a request to the newspaper and a separate suggestion without clearly linking them. A more focused closing paragraph and clearer links between the proposed actions would make cohesion more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to communicate the topic and your feelings, including “destress,” “hustle and bustle,” “foul smell,” and “biodegradable.” The specific litter examples help make the description vivid. There are, however, some imprecise or unnatural choices: “streets of the countryside” and “biodegradable foods” do not express the intended meaning as clearly as “country lanes” and “food waste.” “Do Not Litter stands” is also an awkward phrase; “anti-litter signs” would be more natural. These choices do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations and a slightly more formal register would strengthen a letter to a newspaper.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and most ideas remain easy to understand. For example, “It helps me destress after a long day at work” is clear, while the sentence beginning “Since countryside is just…” shows an attempt to explain a reason. Some grammatical errors remain: “Since countryside” needs an article, “both side” should be plural, and “The greenery …, relaxes me” has an unnecessary comma. In “the streets not only look dirty but also there is foul smell,” the parallel structure and article use need correction. Review articles, subject–verb agreement, plurals and punctuation, while keeping the varied sentence patterns you already attempt.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.