Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-02

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/ Madam,

I am writing to request you that as I am living near a countryside area. Beside my home there is a beautiful trail where people of every age enjoy walking during morning time. This area is quite famous in my city due to greenery and a lake.

The reason of my request is that I have been noticing it since April a group of boys come here every evening for party. As it is a public area where things like alcohol and loud music is prohibited. Moreover, they throw all bottles and chips wraper on the walk only . Due to this, nearby people also start throwing garbage here.

I would be grateful if you could post few picturse along with an awareness article so people can understand why keeping your surrounding is important . Hence this news willl read by local authorities as wll so they can take legal action against those boys.

Thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main points by explaining that you enjoy a nearby trail for its greenery and lake, describing bottles and crisp packets left by visitors, and asking the newspaper to raise awareness. However, the letter does not fully develop why you personally enjoy walking, and the litter description is brief. The focus also shifts to boys holding parties and breaking rules, while the requested solutions are limited to publishing pictures and an article; practical measures such as bins, signs, or patrols would make the response more complete. The purpose is understandable, but the opening phrase “request you that” is unclear, and the closing could be more appropriate for a formal letter. Develop each point more clearly and directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable order: it introduces the location, explains the problem, and then proposes a response. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “Hence” show attempts to connect ideas. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “The reason of my request is that…” does not smoothly introduce the account of the litter, and “Hence this news will…” leaves the relationship between newspaper coverage and legal action somewhat vague. The final “Thank you” also feels abrupt, with no conventional sign-off. Use clearer topic sentences and make the cause-and-effect links explicit to improve the progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the setting and problem, including “countryside,” “trail,” “greenery,” “alcohol,” and “loud music.” These choices make the situation recognisable, and “awareness article” shows an attempt to express a specific solution. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “chips wraper,” “keeping your surrounding,” and “post few picturse.” Spelling errors in “wraper,” “picturse,” and “willl” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise phrases for the rubbish and proposed action, and check spelling carefully. A wider set of natural expressions would make the letter clearer and more suitable for a newspaper.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a reason clause beginning “As it is a public area” and a conditional-style explanation of what newspaper coverage could achieve. However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence structures are faulty or incomplete. “I am writing to request you that as I am living near a countryside area” combines clauses awkwardly, while “As it is a public area where things like alcohol and loud music is prohibited” is a fragment and has subject–verb disagreement. There are also missing articles and plural forms, as in “post few picturse.” Use shorter, complete sentences when needed, then check agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries before submitting.

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

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