Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-30

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 this letter to inform you that our garbage collection is not working efficiently and causing significant issues to us. As per the schedule the waste collection is suppose to be done by every Tuesday at 9:00 am, but unfortunately sometime the authority was unable to collect it on time.

Majority of time it will be there for late in the evening and the waste such as plastic bag get flew to the near by houses causing complaining each other is getting very common in my region. Moreover, during this delay in rubbish collection there are no spare bins to us for collecting wastes at that time. This results in many health problem among us.

However, I would like to suggest you few solutions for this scenerio. The council should provide waste collection bins with lid and proper locking system. Furthermore, the authority should consider about providing a extra spare bin if you have delay in collecting garbage from our area.

Thank you for giving the matter your attention and hope to hear your reply soon.

yours faithfully,

Jithu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the system failure, explaining the impact on the community, 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 health problems is vague and could have been expanded with specific examples (e.g., pests or foul odors). The suggestions are relevant but could be more detailed to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7 response. Overall, the message is clear and the purpose of the letter is achieved.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for the problem and solutions, and a closing. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'causing complaining each other', which is grammatically awkward and affects the flow. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'efficiently' and 'significant issues'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'get flew' (should be 'are blown') and 'scenerio' (spelling error). The phrase 'causing complaining each other' is also unnatural. To improve, the writer should focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring accurate word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'waste collection is suppose to be done' (should be 'supposed'), 'sometime the authority was unable' (should be 'sometimes'), and 'no spare bins to us for collecting' (should be 'for us to collect'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The use of punctuation is generally acceptable, but the control over verb tenses and passive voice needs more consistency.

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