Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-29

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain regarding the broken rubbish and garbage collector in the Homeland located in Chandigarh.

last weak, while throwing the garbage in the collection bin, I noticed that the red light on the panel was blinking with the warning sign on the top. Till the evening we got the notifications on the application regarding the system error n the machine.

Unfortunately, it is affecting whole society as trash from last five days was not collected and it is scattered on the side of the trash room which will lead to some disease in future and the rotten smell is all around the locality. which is effecting daily activities of the individuals living nearby.

To mitigate this problem, garbage lying near the trash room should be picked and disposed outside. Besides this, the automatic system should be upgraded and problem should be solved as soon as possible. On the top of that room should be cleaned with the disinfectant.

I hope you will take the immediate action upon receiving my letter.

Yours faithfully,

Narveer Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly describe the technical failure of the rubbish collection system, explain the negative impact on the community, and provide actionable suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are slightly more developed; for instance, you could elaborate on the specific health risks or the duration of the problem to provide a more comprehensive picture. However, all parts of the task are covered well, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Unfortunately', 'To mitigate this problem', and 'Besides this', which help guide the reader through your argument. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by minor mechanical issues, such as the use of 'n' instead of 'in' and some awkward phrasing like 'On the top of that'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'mitigate', 'disinfectant', and 'locality'. There are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'broken rubbish and garbage collector' (which sounds like a person rather than a machine) and 'effecting' instead of 'affecting'. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'weak' instead of 'week'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider range of precise collocations to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'trash from last five days was not collected' (should be 'has not been collected'), 'disposed outside' (should be 'disposed of'), and 'take the immediate action' (should be 'take immediate action'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with sentence boundaries and capitalization. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding your message.

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