Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-24

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,

I am writing this letter to having your attention on serious issue about the garbage collection in my area

Mainly the problem is about how the collection of garbage is being done as they do not collect garbage on daily basis which leads to gathering of too much garbage and leads to worst smell and which sometimes block the roads and during rain this garbage comes to in front of our doors.

Meanwhile, people of my society are also facing this problem and they are very worried because childern play outside and this garbage creats problem for them and resulting in many dangerous diseases. Last week 15 childern were admitted in hospital and suffering from dengue.

Finally, I want that you take some initiative for this garbage collection and one thing more please ask your workers to always collect the garbage that is on street.

I am hoping for strict action.

Thank you,

Harsh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the collection issues, explaining the impact on the community, and suggesting solutions. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. However, the development of these points is somewhat basic. For example, while you mention the health risks and the specific incident with dengue, the suggestions for improvement are quite general and could be more detailed to fully satisfy the requirements of a formal letter to a council. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the tone is appropriate for the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the problem to the impact and finally the suggested action. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. Phrases like 'Mainly the problem is' and 'Meanwhile' are used to connect ideas, but the flow between sentences could be improved with a wider variety of linking words to make the text feel more cohesive and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'garbage collection', 'dengue', and 'initiative'. However, there are instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'gathering of too much garbage' instead of 'accumulation of waste' and 'worst smell' instead of 'foul odour'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and a slightly more formal register suitable for a letter to a local authority.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms (e.g., 'I am writing this letter to having your attention') and pluralisation (e.g., 'childern' instead of 'children'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences that lack necessary commas or conjunctions. These errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and basic sentence punctuation will help improve your accuracy.

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