Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-07

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 6.0)

Dear sir or madam,

I am writing to inform you about the rubbish collection system in our locality. This is causing problems for me and my neighbours. The system is not working properly as they are not collecting garbage from our area which leads to various problems such as dirty smell and blockage in system.

This affecting badly to our healths because of long term storage it creates bacteria and other diseases which can be spread if not cleaned on time. By creating fool smell our children do not want to eat food and getting sick. All the members in our locality facing the same problem.

We request you to take action against garbage collection workers so that they work effectively. Try to monitor their work and maintain a proper rules and regulations to avoid this type of inconvenience. I hope you will understand our situation and take required steps to solve the issue.

Kind regards,

Zara

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly describe the failure of the collection system, explain the health and hygiene impacts on the community, and suggest specific actions for the council. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local authority. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the suggestion to 'take action against workers' is a bit vague and could be more professionally articulated. To reach a higher band, ensure that your suggestions are more detailed and demonstrate a clearer understanding of how a council might realistically address such an issue.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the task. There is a clear progression of ideas from the problem to the impact and finally to the proposed solution. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'This is causing', 'By creating', and 'In addition' (implied). However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, which will help the letter sound more natural and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'locality', 'inconvenience', and 'regulations'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'dirty smell' (better: 'foul odor') and 'fool smell' (likely a typo for 'foul'). The phrase 'take action against' is also slightly aggressive for a formal request. Expanding your range to include more precise, topic-specific vocabulary would significantly enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'This affecting badly to our healths' (should be 'This is affecting our health badly'), 'blockage in system' (needs an article: 'a blockage in the system'), and 'maintain a proper rules' (should be 'maintain proper rules'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your point. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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