Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-26

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 Madam,

I am writing to discuss about the problems we are facing with rubish/garbage collection system in our local area.

From, the past few months our locality was facing some issues with the collection system. Usually, the system needs to collect the garbage every alternate day, but now it was totally changed they are collecting every two weeks. In addition to that telecommuting department won't respond politely.

As, the rubbish was not collecting from so long, flies and mosquitoes in my area was increasing, and producing a rotten smell, which in turn causing hospitalizations. Most of us has elder people and small kids at home, the smell due the garbage making the kids to sit at their house and the next coming season was winter, if it continues like this many of us will admit in the hospital with dengue, malaria or typhoid.

So, in order to solve this issue i want to suggest you discuss with the rubbish collection system and strictly warn them to collect the garbage every alternate day. Moreover, appoint staff who answer politely with the people and solve their concerns. Take a strict action against the current staff, so the other staff will work correctly.

Looking forward for your prompt response.

Yours sincerely

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the collection issue, explaining the impact on residents, and suggesting solutions. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of the impact could be more specific regarding the health risks, and the suggestions are a bit repetitive. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is expanded with more detail or a clearer logical flow. Despite these minor limitations, the purpose of the letter is clear and the response is fully relevant to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition to that', 'Moreover', and 'So', which help the reader follow your argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'From, the past few months' and 'As, the rubbish was not collecting'. The use of punctuation, particularly commas, is occasionally intrusive and disrupts the flow of sentences. Improving the variety of linking words and refining your punctuation will help the text read more naturally and improve the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to communicate your message effectively. You use topic-specific terms like 'rubbish/garbage collection', 'hospitalizations', and 'typhoid'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'telecommuting department' (likely meaning 'customer service' or 'waste management department') and 'admit in the hospital' (should be 'admitted to the hospital'). There are also minor spelling errors like 'rubish'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your vocabulary choices are contextually accurate for formal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('flies and mosquitoes... was increasing', 'Most of us has elder people') and tense inconsistencies ('the system... was totally changed'). Additionally, there are errors in preposition use and article placement. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency will significantly enhance your accuracy.

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