Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-03

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 a resident of dartmouth. I work full time and I am a nature lover person and walking is my hobby. Every evening i walk nearby my home till the big national park in west.

From last week i am noticing that people leaving the litter on the side walks. previouely it was rare but this happening continousely now. I think people seeing each other and not clenaing behind there back.It creat problem for the walkers and for the kids to walk on the sidewalk if its dirty with dog poop.

As this is a community problem so we have to make sure everyone is aware about this . The sings can help with the proper warnings.Otherthan that if some people wants to do cleaning volunterly for good startup they are welcome.We do not any particular space for the dogs if we can build a new space near the park that can help to prevent unnessary litter on sidewalks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that walking is a hobby and mention the national park near your home, describe litter including dog waste, and suggest warning signs, volunteer clean-ups, and a designated dog area. These ideas are relevant and the reader can understand your concern. However, some parts are less fully developed than others. The reason you enjoy walking is only briefly stated, and the description of the litter is quite narrow; adding examples such as bottles or food packaging, if observed, would make it more specific. Your proposed solutions would also be stronger with a little explanation of who could organise them. A more suitable newspaper-letter opening and a clear closing would complete the format.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a generally coherent order: it introduces your interest in walking, explains the growing litter problem, and then offers possible solutions. This progression helps the reader follow your purpose. You also use linking expressions such as “but,” “as,” and “other than that” to connect ideas. At times, however, the links feel mechanical or the relationship between ideas is not fully clear—for example, the move from dog waste on the pavement to creating a dog space could use an explanation. Paragraphing would make the stages of the letter easier to distinguish. To strengthen the organisation further, group the background, problem, and recommendations into separate paragraphs and use transitions that show how each suggestion addresses the problem.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main concern, including “litter,” “walkers,” “warnings,” and “cleaning.” However, the range is limited, and several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors make parts of the letter less clear or natural, such as “clenaing,” “continousely,” “sings,” and “unnessary.” Some phrases are also awkward, including “nature lover person” and “good startup.” Aim to learn accurate forms and natural collocations, and use more precise terms for the rubbish you have seen. For example, naming “plastic bottles” or “food wrappers” would make the description more vivid, while “organise a community clean-up” is more natural than “do cleaning voluntarily.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate your main message using simple sentences and some attempts at longer structures, such as “As this is a community problem so we have to make sure everyone is aware about this.” However, the range is limited, and errors in verb forms, articles, agreement, and sentence construction occur often enough to affect fluency. For example, “people leaving the litter” needs a finite verb, while “if some people wants” has a subject–verb agreement error. The opening also needs more accurate sentence structure: “I work full time and I am a nature lover person” could be divided or recast. Practise forming complete clauses and checking tense and agreement; clearer punctuation and sentence boundaries will also make your recommendations easier to read.

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

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