Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-06

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 or Madam,

I am writing to inform you regarding the failure of the system which is collecting the garbage in our region.

The garbage was collected in three big containers separately for plastic, renewable and landfill wastes. Every week corporation vehicle will come and collect it. However, for the past four weeks the vehicle did not come and all of the container has been overfilled and the lid cannot be closed.

This makes the life of the people difficult since they are causing problems to the locals. We cannot walk through that area because of its foul smell. Moreover, wild animals are coming to eat these garbage and flies are very common. As a result, some people got diseases such as fever, malaria and cold.

Can you please send the authorized people here so that they can take necessary action against the authorities who are responsible for this. Also, please make arrangement to clean this area and make sure the collection process are taking care.

I am look forward to your prompt reply

Yours sincerely

Helen

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You described the system failure, explained the negative impact on the community, and provided a clear suggestion for resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the 'suggestion' part by proposing a specific timeline for the cleanup or requesting a formal response regarding future prevention, which would further develop your ideas and demonstrate a more sophisticated approach to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'As a result' to connect your ideas. While the progression is clear, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing is precise. For example, 'these garbage' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the cohesion. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the message is easy to follow throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use topic-specific terms like 'landfill wastes', 'corporation vehicle', and 'authorized people'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'renewable wastes' (which is likely meant to be 'recyclable') and 'these garbage' (garbage is an uncountable noun). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your word choices are natural and contextually accurate for a formal complaint letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('all of the container has been overfilled', 'collection process are taking care') and tense inconsistencies ('the vehicle did not come' instead of 'has not come'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. Focusing on consistent verb tenses and pluralization rules will help you achieve a higher band score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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