Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The system used for rubbish/garbage collection in your local area is not working properly. This is causing problems for you and your neighbours. Write a letter to the local council. In your letter

• describe how the rubbish collection system is not working properly
• explain how this is affecting you and your neighbours
• suggest what should 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/Mam.

I am writing to express my concern regarding the garbage collection system that is not functioning at all in our ward 5, sunrise park Rustenburg. It has been a full 2 weeks since last the garbage trucks collected dust bin around our streets here.

We are living in the environment whereby we need to take health into consideration. However, according to our garbage collection system it is totally opposite. Plastics, spoiled food and empty cans are scattered all over the streets due to the failure of garbage collection, unfortunately this is really contaminating our environment and tremendously unhealthy to our people.

We kindly requesting an assistance from Rustenburg Municipality to send enough trucks to come and collect the garbage. Collection can take place on Monday and Friday to avoid garbage piling and clean environment for everyone.

I hope my request will be take into consideration.

Best regards,

Edward Gama.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements: it reports that trucks have not collected rubbish for two weeks, describes the resulting litter and health concerns, and asks the municipality to send enough trucks, proposing Monday and Friday collections. The purpose and concern are clear throughout, and the specific examples of plastics, spoiled food and cans make the problem concrete. The effects on neighbours, however, are described mainly in general terms as contamination and harm to “our people”; one or two specific consequences would develop this point more fully. The proposed schedule is useful, but explaining how it would prevent missed collections would strengthen the recommendation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear, practical sequence: the opening states the complaint, the next paragraph explains the consequences, and the final paragraph makes a request and offers a schedule. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these functions, while links such as “However” and “due to” show relationships between ideas. The progression is easy to follow, although some connections could be smoother: “However” does not clearly contrast the preceding statement about health, and “according to our garbage collection system” makes the relationship between the ideas difficult to follow. Use more precise transitions and connect the health concern directly to the specific effects of the accumulated rubbish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for making the complaint clear, with relevant terms such as “garbage collection,” “contaminating our environment,” and “garbage piling.” The writer also attempts more formal language, including “express my concern” and “take into consideration,” though some choices are inaccurate or unnatural. For example, “collected dust bin” does not clearly express that the trucks collected rubbish from the bins, and “tremendously unhealthy to our people” is an awkward collocation. “Ward 5” and “Rustenburg Municipality” add useful local specificity. Aim for more precise, natural phrases for collection failures and public-health effects, while checking spelling and conventional forms such as “Sir/Madam.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple statements and attempts at more complex structures, such as “It has been a full 2 weeks since…” and the sentence beginning “Plastics, spoiled food and empty cans…”. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. In “We kindly requesting an assistance,” the verb form is incomplete and the article is unnecessary; “I hope my request will be take into consideration” also has an incorrect passive verb form. There are further problems with sentence construction in “according to our garbage collection system it is totally opposite.” Practise complete verb forms and passive structures, and use punctuation to separate introductory phrases from the main clause.

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