Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-08

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope your are doing well.I am writing to express my concern about my neighbourhood.The current system has not been working properly for past few days.Causing some serious inconvenience to my local residents.

In my apartments, rubbish collection system has been stopped working properly due to the heavy overload of garbage waste has been flooded all over the room.There is no room for the people to walk inside to throw the waste bag into the trunk.Because of that individuals are placing outside the room making the underground area smell bad due to this

residents are facing health issues.over all its affecting surroundings.

To address this problem, I would recommend to allow more rooms for the garbage due to increase in residents in the apartment.you need to take some strict actions on the person who is irresponsible all these days.

Thank you for your attention.I am looking forward hearing it from you.

Yours faithfully,

Raski

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: describing the system failure, explaining the impact, and suggesting solutions. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the 'rubbish collection system' is slightly confusing, as you mention 'apartments' and 'rooms' rather than standard bin collection areas. The suggestions are relevant but could be more detailed to fully satisfy the requirements of a formal letter. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a council, though it lacks some of the conventional formal phrasing expected in this task type.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, sentences like 'Because of that individuals are placing outside the room' lack proper transition or clear referencing. Some sentences are fragmented, such as 'Causing some serious inconvenience to my local residents,' which should be connected to the previous sentence. Improving the use of linking words (e.g., 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' 'in addition') would significantly improve the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and occasionally imprecise. Phrases like 'rubbish collection system has been stopped working' and 'heavy overload of garbage waste' are understandable but not natural collocations. You rely on basic vocabulary, and there is a lack of more sophisticated or 'less common' lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of proficiency. Additionally, there are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'underground area' when referring to a bin storage room, which slightly impacts the clarity of your message.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('rubbish collection system has been stopped working'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple or contain errors that make them difficult to parse, such as 'due to the heavy overload of garbage waste has been flooded all over the room.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several missing spaces after periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic structures prevents a higher score in this category.

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