Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-01

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 to tell you about my wonderful experience of walking at the nearest countryside as the breathtaking views are very calming on the nerves. But I came across an alarming condition which i would like to discuss with you.

Firstly, I noticed a huge amount of scattered litter on my way towards the lake side. It is effecting the beauty of the environment as it's odour is spreading in the air which is a raising concern for the tourists. Cleanliness is the first aspect that attract visitors to enjoy the scenic views of the lake.

Secondly, I would like you to highlight this issue as a main heading of the newspaper to control the spread of litter. I would suggest to install the bins along the path and display the warning signs regarding the spread of pollution.

I hope it will help people understand the importance and preservation of the natural environment.

Looking forward to read this news on the newspaper.

Yours Faithfully,

Fareah Aziz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points and maintain a suitable formal purpose by writing to the newspaper. The opening explains that the countryside’s “breathtaking views” are calming, and you identify the lakeside as the location. You also describe scattered litter and its effect on the area, then suggest newspaper coverage, bins and warning signs. This covers the task well, with some elements already clearly relevant and specific. However, the description of the rubbish remains general: naming examples such as bottles, wrappers or food waste would make the problem more vivid. The proposed actions could also be developed by explaining who should install or maintain the bins, or how the newspaper feature might encourage walkers to take responsibility.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear overall progression: you introduce your concern, describe what you have seen, suggest responses and close with a request. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and signposts such as “Firstly” and “Secondly” make the sequence easy to follow. The ideas are generally connected, although the numbered transitions feel somewhat mechanical, and the link between litter’s odour, tourism and cleanliness could be made more explicit. The final request, “Looking forward to read this news on the newspaper,” repeats the earlier suggestion for newspaper coverage rather than adding a distinct closing point. To strengthen the flow, use more natural links between cause and effect and vary the transitions while keeping the clear paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including “breathtaking views,” “scattered litter,” “scenic views” and “natural environment.” These choices communicate your concern and show an attempt to use descriptive and less common vocabulary. Some expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “nearest countryside” is not idiomatic, “effecting the beauty” uses the wrong word, and “spread of litter” is an awkward description of the problem. “A main heading of the newspaper” is also unclear for the intended action. Choose more precise collocations, such as “nearby countryside,” “damaging the area’s appearance,” and “feature the issue prominently.” These adjustments would make the letter sound more fluent and appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the opening sentence with “as” and the sentence explaining the litter’s effect. Meaning remains clear overall, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “Cleanliness is the first aspect that attract visitors” needs subject–verb agreement (“attracts”), while “I would suggest to install” should be “I would suggest installing” or “I would suggest that you install.” The closing phrase “Looking forward to read” also needs a gerund: “Looking forward to reading.” Check sentence punctuation and capitalisation as well, including the lowercase “i” and the comma splice-like transition after “But.” More consistent control of these forms would improve accuracy without sacrificing sentence variety.

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

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