Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

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 4.5)

Dear,

I hope you are doing well. I want to highlight a point about garbage on walkways near my home. I love to do jogging in the morning time for my better health in the park of my town. I saw quality of wrappers and plastic cups on the running tracks. Some people read and throw newspapers in the park.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the general issue of litter and give a reason for going out: “for my better health.” You also mention the park and provide examples of rubbish, including wrappers, plastic cups and newspapers. However, the letter addresses the task only partially: it does not explain clearly where in the countryside you walk, and it gives no suggestions for tackling the litter. The opening “Dear,” also does not follow the requested greeting, and there is no suitable closing. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, so the main points are left undeveloped. To improve, cover each bullet point explicitly, add specific details and practical solutions, and complete the letter format.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The ideas are presented in a basic, understandable order: you introduce the litter problem, explain that you jog in the park, and then list examples of rubbish. This gives the reader a simple progression. However, the response is very brief and has no paragraphing or clear development from one point to the next. The link between your enjoyment of walking and your complaint about litter is not explained, and the final sentence about newspapers feels like an additional item rather than part of a developed description. There are also no linking expressions to show how the points relate. Use separate paragraphs for your reason for writing, your observations, and your proposed solutions, with simple transitions such as “Recently” and “To address this problem.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough basic vocabulary to communicate the main topic, including “wrappers,” “plastic cups,” “newspapers,” “park” and “running tracks.” These concrete examples help the reader understand what you have seen. However, the range is limited, and several expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “quality of wrappers” and “I love to do jogging.” “Garbage” is understandable, but “litter” would be more suitable for this context and for a letter to a newspaper. Broaden your vocabulary with precise terms for the rubbish and its effects, such as “discarded packaging” or “spoils the scenery.” Check common word partnerships so that your meaning sounds natural and clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate using simple sentence patterns, and the main message can generally be understood. For example, “I want to highlight a point about garbage on walkways near my home” is a complete sentence, and “I saw … on the running tracks” attempts to describe a past observation. However, the range of structures is narrow, with little sentence variety or complex grammar. There are errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms, including “I love to do jogging” and “I saw quality of wrappers,” which make parts of the message awkward or unclear. Practise accurate verb patterns such as “I enjoy jogging,” and use articles and quantifiers where needed, for example, “a large quantity of wrappers.” Add a few well-controlled sentences explaining causes or solutions.

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

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