Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear sir, I hope you are doing well

I am writing this letter regarding the problem occur in my area because of garbage and this causing a problem to me and my neighbours.

I would like to also give a information on how they not taking my garbage properly the garbage bus came at every week but I don't know they forget to take garbage from my area and also sometimes if they take my garbage they did not take proper garbage like there is still stuff left in my garbage even after I pay the money for my garbage.

By this problem my neighbours having problem of smell they can not come out their house because of dirty smell and also around the garbage area it's very dirty so nobody like to visit in our area. I would suggest you to inform the garbage taking worker and tell them to take the garbage every week regularly so our area looks good.

Thank you for your valuable time.

Warm Regards,

Dev Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the system failure, explaining the impact on the community, and suggesting a solution. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the description of the 'garbage bus' is vague, and the explanation of the impact could be more detailed to fully convey the severity of the situation. While the tone is appropriate for a formal letter, the ideas are presented in a fairly basic manner. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more specific details and ensure the tone remains consistently formal throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'garbage' is used excessively, and there is a lack of linking words to connect sentences smoothly (e.g., 'By this problem' is not a natural way to introduce a consequence). The transition between the problem description and the suggested solution is functional but could be improved with better signposting language to enhance the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'garbage' and 'problem' throughout the letter. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'garbage bus' (likely meaning 'collection truck') and 'garbage taking worker'. To improve, you should aim to use more specific terminology related to waste management and avoid repeating the same words. While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is not sufficient to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('garbage bus came', 'neighbours having problem'), missing articles ('give a information'), and awkward phrasing ('they not taking my garbage'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the lack of proper sentence boundaries and capitalization. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of basic sentence construction.

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

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