Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-01

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 bring your attention towards the garbage collection in the west region of the city.Since a month the waste truck has been irregular in collection of rubbish for both the organic as well as the plastics.The truck is scheduled for every monday of the week but has failed to show up on time and arrives at any day of the week as of which the local residents keep the garbage outside that not only invites the racoons and mites in the area but also creates rotten aroma in the surroundings.

Moreover, the delay in picking up the waste invites tons of disease in the locality affecting the health of seniors and the kids.

In addition, to mitigate this issue I request the city council to take proactive steps finding the root cause as quickly as possible along with resuming the timely service of the garbage collection trucks.

I hope that these services are provided and the improvements are implemented as sson as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Kim

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 irregularity of the collection service, explain the negative consequences for the community, and provide a constructive suggestion for the council. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local authority. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the specific impact on your daily life or provide more detail on the 'proactive steps' you expect, as the current development is somewhat brief. However, all requirements are met with a clear purpose throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'In addition' to link your ideas. However, the paragraphing is quite limited; the body of the letter would benefit from being split into distinct paragraphs for each point (the problem, the impact, and the solution) to improve readability. Additionally, some transitions are slightly mechanical. Using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring each paragraph focuses on a single clear topic would enhance the flow and structure of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'mitigate', 'proactive', and 'irregular'. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'invites tons of disease' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'rotten aroma' (where 'foul odor' would be more standard). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on more natural collocations and avoiding slightly awkward phrasing will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'Since a month' (should be 'For a month'), 'as of which' (which is misused here), and 'the seniors and the kids' (the articles are unnecessary). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and spelling slips like 'sson' and missing spaces after commas. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage will be beneficial.

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